Lighting columns in Micklegate are suffering a lack of pride after over 5 years of waiting to be painted, local councillors have said. Ward councillor Dave Merrett said his attempts to get columns in his ward painted prior to the Royal Ascot meeting in 2005 seems to have fallen on deaf ears, despite numerous attempts to see action on the matter. He said:

"This month we reached five years since an initial request was made, which was subsequently agreed to, to get a lighting column in Dalton Terrace and others elsewhere in the ward repainted. They have looked increasingly dishevelled as time has gone on, and are doubly a disgrace as many are actually in conservation areas. We've had one poor excuse after another from the council as to why the work has not been carried out.

"Given the request was agreed some years ago, I just wish it was given some priority and the council got on and sorted it out. There must be some political responsibility for this series of failings which smack of a lack of Executive Member oversight in this area".

Councillors' were given false hope back in February 2006 when they were told the work would be carried out in the next financial year. Since then, they have been told that Bewley Street's columns would be painted, but that Dalton Terrace columns needed ‘structural testing' before any decision was made on repainting.

Fellow ward councillor Sandy Fraser has also been on the council for the length of time the saga has gone on, and says it is time some action was taken. He said:

"The council needs to take responsibility for these lighting columns and the many other pieces of street furniture it has neglected over recent years. Not only are we not seeing the work done that is needed, we are seeing a waste of officer and councillor time attempting to fathom what the problem is with getting the work done. It seems to me that York Pride, once claimed to be the Lib Dems' flagship policy, has sank without trace, as far as the painting of street lights is concerned.".