A RESIDENT in a block of flats has raised concerns after management said the lights must stay on 24 hours a day.

Resident Alan Hill lives on Westcliff Road in a block of apartments, managed by Burns Hamilton.

The hallway and stairwell lights in the building used to be turned off at 10pm, before management suggested installing sensor lights.

Mr Hill said the residents of the building voted on the sensor lights in a meeting and 10 residents wanted them while two didn't, with the sensor lights installed within 12 weeks.

However, residents later received a note through the door from the company stating the lights needed to be on 24 hours a day. Since then the lights have remained on at all times.

Mr Hill said: “Eight years ago I suggested putting in lights with sensors and management said it was a silly suggestion.

“So when they came up with this idea, it was brilliant because it was something that we already thought about and I thought it would save money.

“Our problem is they've now said the lights need to be on 24 hours a day and the lights have never been on in here 24 hours a day.

“We’ve already got night security lights, so now we’ve got three sets of lights on out there and it's just a waste of money.

“With the government saying save electricity, here we are spending twice as much. Its just stupid, why put the sensors in if they’re going to leave the lights on all the time anyway.

“We don't even know what the sensors cost, we won't know until next year, they never tell us what anything costs so we’ve wasted money paying for sensors to have the lights on 24 hours a day."

Management told residents that installing the sensors would save them £400.

Mr Hill said: “They said we would save £400 with the lights on a sensor, so I dread to think what our bill is now because it's already gone up from £60 to £160.

“They won’t give us a reason why the lights have to be left on all the time and we don't know who overrode our decision.

“Now we've got lights on out there night and day, it's like Blackpool illuminations, it's pathetic.

"If people are in bed, what do you want lights on for, we should be saving money and not wasting it.

“Everybody is on a fixed pension so we want to save money and it's frustrating that management won't speak about it or give us a reason.”

We contacted Burns Hamilton for comment but did not receive a response at the time of going to press.