Riseley Parish Council - 1901

 With the present Parish Council involved in upgrading street lighting in College Drive/Brooklands Road, I thought it would be of interest to give you details of the first discussions of the Parish Council on street lighting.....106 years ago!.. on 20th March 1901, at the  Parish Council Meeting held at 7.30pm in the Lower School. It was considered that 36 lamps would be required. There being no gas or electric to the village at that time, they would be fitted with oil burners, which required lighting each evening and putting out each morning. They could be supplied by the Bedford Gas Works and the quoted cost were;-

 NEW CAST IRON LAMP POSTS @ 42 shillings each (£2.10).

RECONDITIONED  CAST IRON LAMP POSTS @ 40 shillings (£2.00)

ERECTING EACH POST @ 3 shillings each (0.15p)

Cost of 12 months oil, plus labour for the man to light and put out each morning £24 10s 00d (£24.50)

 At a total cost of £105 10s 00d (£105.50p) it was felt too expensive and the decision was taken to defer until a future date.

N.B. It now costs between £800 and £15,000 per light, depending on the proximity of the electricity supply.

Report by Andrew Gell