SPALDING Town Forum is asking Spalding and District Area Chamber of Commerce to consider managing the town’s Christmas lights.
Chamber president Jason Rooke said members recently discussed the issue and were reluctant to take on what they feel could be “potentially a poison chalice”.
But councillors at Spalding Town Forum argued the chamber could possibly get better value for the £18,940 in the kitty for this year’s lights than the council is able to.
Mr Rooke and chamber vice-president Phil Scarlett agreed to look at the issue and report back to the next town forum meeting.
Chamber members have suggested Spalding could switch from bulbs to LEDs and perhaps have celebration lights as a permanent fixture to be switched on for special occasions like the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Pumpkin Parade. These would also complement Christmas displays.
Coun Howard Johnson told the forum: “We as a council have been putting up Christmas decorations for ever and a day but when you look at them we are getting less and less for the money.”
He said towns like King’s Lynn have “immensely better” displays.
Coun Johnson said the Christmas tree gifted to the town looked fine by itself but couldn’t find a word to describe how poorly decorated it was with council-supplied lights.
l The £18,940 in this year’s Christmas lights budget is up by £5,750 on last year.