Fiscal stress & street lighting choices in Britain: realities and the way forward

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2017-07-24
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en
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Abstract
Street lighting regimes in the U.K. are institutionally different and are both complex and controversial. Many factors go into making street lighting decisions especially with the absence of a statutory obligation on local authorities. As an urban service, street lighting has undergone revisions and debates in recent years, with an increased tendency among local authorities to apply part-night lighting or dimming regimes. This is of course alongside extended debates on Light-Emitting Diode (LED) where one can easily sense rage, accusations, and growing concerns. One can argue that there has been a wave of policy diffusion sweeping across the U.K. as many diverse cities and counties adopted similar changes. This study is taking a non-technical approach, meaning that the research is more focused on policy aspects and the decision-making processes. This study serves to inform and uncover the situation of street lighting and provide an overview of the main policy drivers. It draws on the literature on fiscal stress and austerity and argues that there is no one theory that accounts for or characterizes all that is involved with street lighting changes. Street lighting decisions are difficult to explain, executives-dominated, and do not follow an entirely rational model. The study highlights how policy makers are no longer concerned with the provision of services in the old-fashioned way, and shows how the ‘corporate mentality’ dominates the scene.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen