Urgent safety work needed on power supplies in Biggleswade town centre says council

Safety work around power supplies in Biggleswade town centre needs addressing as “a matter of urgency”, a meeting heard.

The town council provided Central Bedfordshire Council with two above ground condition surveys and quotes from certified electricians last summer.

These “flagged the need for a more robust and safest possible solution with all sockets available”, according to a report to BTC’s town centre management committee.

“But a slight downrating of the capacity to within a safer operating range was suggested, to avoid blowing the fuses”, warned the report. “This would optimise the number of traders drawing power simultaneously from the grid.

“BTC officers have to ensure a certified electrician is present for all large events at considerable extra expense. CBC officers were planning their own sub-surface investigations.

“Both parties agree any investigation and funding would be drawn from Section 106 town centre contributions of up to £30,000.”

BTC’s community development manager Ian Campbell explained: “The situation with the electrical installations is that it’s unsatisfactory. We think it’s potentially unsafe.

“We’re happy for CBC to rectify the situation. But we see it as higher importance because our market, staff and supervisor are more involved.

“There were problems over the timers on three electrical outputs, which rather disrupted the timings of the Christmas lights coming on and going off.

“We need an update and action on the power supply. CBC will look at the Market Square in the next fortnight.”

Town clerk Peter Tarrant added: “There’s broad acceptance from CBC of this being clearly its responsibility.

“A number of site visits have taken place and a recent meeting here with the head of service responsible for the function.

“We were assured that this would be treated as a matter of urgency. It’s been going on far too long. The promises of it being dealt with as a priority haven’t been supported.

“CBC will take responsibility for this at some stage, and that (finance) will be sourced from outside the town council’s coffers.”

Deputy mayor Mark Knight said: “We selected one of four different options last June, including removing the 32 Amps trailing cable.

“CBC doesn’t use that power supply, so we need to ensure it does what we want and not something different. We know the electrical supply isn’t as safe as it could be. We don’t want CBC to turn it off or disable it.

“But we need to make it clear, if someone hurts themselves in the Market Square, CBC is accountable and responsible. It would have to pay any compensation.”

Town councillor Duncan Strachan asked whether there are current and valid safety certificates.

Mr Tarrant replied: “It’s not our Market Square, so it’s CBC’s responsibility to ensure the safety associated with it.”

Town councillor Jonathan Woodhead, who chairs the committee, suggested: “It’s hard to run any events or anything else without a creditable electric supply, never mind our twice weekly market as well.”

Councillors unanimously agreed writing to CBC chief executive Marcel Coiffait asking that Market Square power supply concerns are resolved and electrical safety certificates produced to BTC as a matter of urgency.