Public Lighting
There are approximately 30,000 streetlights in South Dublin County Council's area. Every streetlight is patrolled for faults during a fortnightly night-time patrol. Defective or faulty lights are reported to the Public Lighting Maintenance Contractor for repair.
Informing SDCC of a defective public light
If you wish to report a public light requiring attention please uses one of the methods below.
Telephone: Please call the direct Dial Number: 01 414 9294
Before you report to SDCC a defecting public light please have the following information to hand;
- Your name, contact details and own address
- The pole number (the black number found on the white band on the pole) and road name of the faulty pole. (if there is no number on the pole it is most likely privately owned.)
- The address of the house nearest to the defective public light.
- Description of the defect, eg. no lighting, lighting during the day, twisted bracket."
For developers
The Public Lighting Specification is available below.
SDCC Public Lighting Specification
Stndard planning condition is available below.
Refer to
- Climate Change Section for information on EV Chargers
- Public Realm to enquire about lighting in parks and green spaces
A Maximum of two weeks from the date of any Commencement Notice within the meaning of Part ll of the Building Control Regulations 1997 and prior to the commencement of works on site the applicant, owner of developer shall have lodged with the Planning Authority:
(i) A Public Lighting Scheme including all electrical design for the dvelopment as approved, designed to provide for high quality public lighting throughout the public realm of the site, prepared by competent public lighting design consultants to the current editions of both the European Lighting Standard ISEN13201 and the SDCC Specification for Public Lighting Installations in Residential and Industrial Developments: along with:
(ii) Written confirmation from the Council's Public Lighting Section that the scheme is fully in compliance with the above standards applicable, and
(iii) A written commitment to implement the agreed Public Lighting Scheme in full, and maintain it to taking in charge standards in perpetuity or until taken in charge by the Council,
(iv) All the above requirements have been acknowledged in writing as acceptable by the Planning Authority.
The public lighting scheme shall be contained exclusively within the public realm of the development as approved, entirely in areas to be offered for taking in charge or subject to the responsibility in perpetuity of an approved management company.
Appropriate natural or artificial lighting or both shall be provided and maintained throughout car parking areas.
The external lighting scheme shall be designed to minimise potential glare and light spillage and shall be positioned and/or cowled away from residential propeties, public roads and any bat roosts or areas with bat activity. No lighting column shall be located within the eventual canopy spread of any proposed street tree or other tree as the case may be. The public lighting design consultants should consult with the Council's Public Realm section in this regard.
In addition, no dwelling unit/commercial unit shall be occupied on any streret until the public lighting provided for that street is operational fully in accordance with the agreet Public Lighting Scheme for the overall development.
The applicant, owner or developer may consult with the Council's Public Lighting Section before lodging the required plan to them for agreement.
REASON: In the interests of public safety and amenity, to prevent light pollution and in the interests of the proper planning and sustainable dvelopment of the area.
Pre-Planning Guidance
Where required, a Public Lighting Scheme should be submitted with a planning application. If not submitted, it will be requested as a Compliance Condition. Any scheme to be submitted should be agreed in writing in advance with the Council's Public Lighting Section. Well-designed public lighting should minimise light pollution and glare whilst ensuring adequate and uniform light performance to all trafficked areas. Any scheme to be smutted by an applicant, owner or deveoper with a planning application or lodged the Planning Authority to comply with a condition in a planning permission must consist of all the elements as set out below.
Full Lighting Design
- A full lighting design to the current edition of EN13201 and industry best practice with reference to the SLL and ILP Guidance Documents. All Lighting designs shall incorporate the requirements if the current edition of the Public Lighting Materials and Installations Specification which is available for download from sdcc.ie (link)
- Layout Drawings must be accompanied by a Lighting design report, stating the lighting class, and associated .ies files to allow for verification of all calculations
- The design ust clearly state the LED lantern manufacturer, model, lumen outpot, optic settings, wattage and dimming profile. (SON/SOX lanterns are not acceptable).
- All lanterns must have a 10-year warranty and a procedure for transferring same to the council must be described.
South Dublin County Council has a policy of using Neutral White Colour Temperature (4000K- - 3,700K) LEDs within the county for cohesiveness and energy efficiency
South Dublin County Council does not accept columns of less tha 6m height and does not accept the use of low-level lighting bollards
All cycleways and pedestrian links intended to be taken into the charge of and maintained by Roads Section must be lit to the relevant class as per EN31201 (current edition).
Ecology zones/ designated dark areas, including any amenity areas within will not be lit.
Bat sentsitive lighting installations will be managed/mitigated by dynamic ligting system such as Schréder Owlet as per Dodder Greenway/Grand Canal. Warm White (2,700K) lanterns may be used in designated bat sensitive areas only. This does not apply to entire developments.
Electrical Design
A Single Line Diagram (SLD) circuit diagram complete with cable calculations
- Circuit diagrams and plan drawings of the supply cabinet equipments as described in the current SDCC ( South Dublin County Council) P. L. Materials and installations Specification and the ESBN National Code of Practice for Customer Interface.
- Internal pole wiring diagram and details as per the current SDCC P. L. Materials and Installations Specification."* Communications wiring and switching / photocell details if required.
- Internal pole wiring diagram and details as per the current SDCC P. L. Materials and Installations Specification.
Layout Drawing
- An AutoCAD ducting layout drawing, coordinated with any other services (existing or new compliant with the service separation requirements of I.S. 10101, current edition, to scale 1:1000.
- Public lighting columns, ducts and supply cabinets likely to be take in charge for maintenance by SDCC shall not be erected on ground likely to remain private or inaccessible, e.g., privated gardens, ESB/ Bord Gais substation enclosures etc.
- If wayleaves are required, they must be highlighted on the ducting layout drawing. Where applicable any wayleaves in favour of SDCC must be fully executed prior to being offered for Taking-In-Charge.
- Pole positions must be coordinated with intented tree planting, overhead wires, maintenance access and boundary treatments. It should be demonstrated that no lighting column shall be located within the eventual canopy spread of any proposed tree or within a proposed SUDS drainage swale.
Construction and Installations Details Figures 1 - 5 of Drawing No. SDCC/T/PL1-5 appended to the Public Lighting Materials and Installations Specification must be adhered to in all designs.
- Construction details showing duct installation as per current SDCC P.L. Materials and installations Specification.
- Column planting./ sleeving details
- Supply pillar mounting
Materials Submissions
- Details of all materials to be used must be submitted with any relevant manufacturer's brochures, dimensioned construction drawings etc.
- Details of ducting type, chamber specifications, column manufacture and cable door dimensions are required.
Construction Phasing Document/ Method Statement
- A method statement describing the intended process for maintaining existing lighting levels during construction, the scheduling of phased switchover to ned installation and any traffic management required must be considered if the development is envisioned to affect an existing P.L Network
- Prior to the commencement of the construction phase, the applicant, owner or developer shall make contact with the Public Lighting to confirm the final design and agree an inspection regime include exchange of site contact details and site induction.
