Amey’s Edinburgh Street Lighting team have been working with the City of Edinburgh Council to upgrade over 64,000 LED streetlights since the contract went live in 2018 with works creating 20-year savings in excess of £54million. But it’s the difference the team is making to local communities that is a light bulb moment.
Through the unique way the contract was modelled the teams have undertaking over 35 community activities, each benefiting from time devoted to social value – enabling the team to give back to local people and communities.
The upgrading and maintenance programme began in June 2018 and has involved more than 55,000 street lightings, approximately 1,600 street lighting column replacements and various auxiliary electrical elements throughout the streets of Edinburgh in Scotland.
In addition to installing the most up-to-date LED technology, the team has also installed a dynamic street lighting control management system that allows for centralised, more efficient management of the lighting, reducing the need for people to report faults as these are now being automatically picked up. These maintenance repair works has helped the city to reduce CO2 emissions in compliance with SEEP (Scotland’s Energy Efficiency Programme).
However, the unique way the contract was modelled has meant that the street lighting team have been directly involved in helping local communities and initiatives through putting social value at the forefront during the tendering stages of contract development.
Social value on Edinburgh Street Lighting contract is measured by a points-based system. Amey committed to achieving 720 community benefit points throughout the duration of the three-year contract, which is due to end this year, and has to date surpassed expectations by achieving 1,764 points.
Points are obtained through Amey’s street lighting team being involved in local events and participating in community projects.
Some of the activities the team have been involved with include attending careers fair, Christmas gift collections, foodbank collections to upgrading a play area for children with both physical and mental disabilities to assisting painting a homeless shelter and upgrading the lighting at a neighbourhood centre and at a Scout hall.
During COVID, involvement in social value programmes weren’t put on hold either, the team adapted to the challenge and hosted virtual quizzes to raise money for prostate cancer and were involved in local foodbank collections for example.
A Spokesperson for the City of Edinburgh Council said: “Community Benefits are at the heart of this Contract and are measured in Community Benefits Points.
“Amey have taken this role seriously and have actively participated in events, carrying out improvement works in community setting and have received much praise from those whom they have helped. Currently, Amey have secured approximately 50 per cent more points than they are contractually obliged to.”
Nick Powell Account Director for Amey’s Street Lighting business said: “Working in collaboration with the City of Edinburgh Council has been the key to the success of this contract partnership which started in June 2018.
“Fully immersing ourselves in community life has enabled us to deliver a successful community programme which has seen the team volunteer their time at community days, career fairs Christmas gift and foodbank collections as well as upgrading a play area for children with both physical and mental disabilities – activities our team are proud to have been involved with. Due to the way the contract was set up – it’s given our teams the opportunity to be fully immersed within the communities that we serve.”
Amey recognises the opportunity to have a positive impact on the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of the communities in which it operates. It has recently released it’s 2020 Social Value Plan which outlines its achievements in this space to date and ambitions for the years ahead.
For more information about Amey’s commitment to social value visit: