A COUNCIL has been warned it will have to increase its spending on maintaining street lights after inspectors found many were suffering corrosion and cracking around the bases.

.The leading members of North Yorkshire County Council, which has replaced about 27,500 of its 50,400 street lighting columns since 2005, are set to consider investing £800,000 in the next financial year to carry out repairs and replacements.

The new lighting columns are expected to operate for a minimum of 40 years.

An officers’ report to the executive members said ongoing inspections “continue to identify serious deficiencies in the street lighting stock”.

The report states: “Work on prioritising these issues is ongoing, but a requirement of £100,000 for Scarborough, £200,000 for Harrogate and Knaresborough, £100,000 for Whitby and £400,000 for the remainder of the street lighting stock across the county has already been identified for 2019/20.

“It is anticipated that additional allocations will be required in future years.”