Amey buys street light connection company

Amey has bought independent street light connections provider Nationwide Distribution Services.

The move makes Amey one of the first companies in the UK to gain authorisation to self-deliver its own mains connections for street lighting schemes

Amey can now work with NDS to coordinate highways and street lighting works in order to reduce time, cost and disruption to the public on the 800,000 street lights currently under its control.

The acquisition also sounds the demise of the long established monopoly arrangements held by the licensed Distribution Network Operators (DNOs).

Previously, Amey could only procure connections to the LV network infrastructure through UK DNOs, who have ownership of the electricity distribution networks.

Amey will now have greater control and management of work programmes and full lighting service delivery.

All of NDS’s staff – around 130 - will join Amey, with Sean Conway, Managing Director of NDS, taking a lead role in expanding the business.

Mel Ewell, Chief Executive of Amey, said: “This acquisition allows Amey to deliver whole life asset management on our street lighting projects and individual schemes, which will improve planning, programming and scheme delivery and also generate time and cost savings for our local authority and highways customers.”

Sean Conway, Managing Director of NDS Ltd, said: “There are clear synergies between the work of NDS and Amey and by combining our expertise, we can deliver the best solutions for existing and new customers.”