‘Such a waste’ Pump room’s bosses criticised over lighting
The lights used to be switched off at night but now come on in the afternoon when the staff go home and stay on ... it is such a waste Pittville resident
BOSSES of Pittville Pump Room in Cheltenham have been criticised after lights in its car park were repeatedly left on in the daytime.
One resident expressed her disappointment at the waste of energy, particularly at a time when the cost of electricity is high and expected to get even higher from next month.
She said the lights at the site on the edge of Pittville Park were being left on for days at a time.
She said: “This is happening every weekend and extra with a bank holiday. I have emailed and rung the Cheltenham Trust and the council has emailed the manager.
“The lights used to be switched off at night but now come on in the afternoon when the staff go home and stay on until 8am. It is such a waste and it isn’t nice looking out at them all day.”
It comes as the cost of living crisis has left many people in the UK wondering how they will be able to pay their lighting and heating bills this autumn and winter, with prices expected to be far higher than ever before.
Gloucestershirelive visited the car park on a Saturday morning when there was a clear blue sky. We found that the majority of the lights in the car park were on.
A spokeswoman for the trust said: “The lamp post lights in the public car park to the rear of Pittville Pump Room are currently controlled by a manual panel inside the pump room.
“The lights are therefore reliant on manual switching on and off at the end of darker working days and, following evening events in the venue when the lights are required to provide a safe, lit environment for patrons using the car park.
“Cheltenham Borough Council, which owns the pump room and adjoining car park, and The Cheltenham Trust, which manages the building, are in the process of making changes to reduce energy consumption and improve carbon emissions.
“An automatic timer system will be installed to enable the lights to be programmed (in accordance with the events schedule and winter months) and controlled automatically, rather than manually. This will improve efficiency and provide lighting when required.”