Anger at Christmas lights refusal by the Council

4.41.49pm UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 15th Nov 2005

Proposed Christmas lights in Idle village

Jeanette Sunderland and David Ward, Liberal Democrat Councillors for Idle Ward are furious at the Councils response to their request to provide a special street light to light up the Christmas light display in the centre of Idle village.

Proposed Christmas lights in Idle village

"The Idle village partnership has been working with local businesses and the community to produce a display of Christmas lights this year. Most of the businesses are going to have a tree and pay for the electricity to light up the decorations. There are a couple of large trees in the village centre which we wish to light as a centrepiece but there is no way of getting electricity to them without a special sort of a lamp post. The Idle Village Partnership is more than happy to pay for the street light in the centre of the village to be changed. The special sort of lamppost will also be able to take a mobile CCTV camera which the partnership is more than willing to pay for" says Councillor Jeanette Sunderland.

"We approached the Council for help with putting up a lamp post. I am absolutely astounded at their response" says Councillor Sunderland. "The Council will not do this as it is seen as "fraudulently" taking electric from the network. I cannot see how using tax payers money to fund Christmas lights to plug into an electricity source that is paid for by Council tax payers for the enjoyment of tax payers can be fraudulent! I have asked how the lights in the City Centre, Shipley, Ilkley, Bingley and Keighley are funded but have not yet received a reply.

Councillor David Ward says "Rather than a special street light that can be used all year round and can house a CCTV camera that can be used by the police the Council wants us to pay up to a thousand pounds for feeder pillar to be placed nearby that will contain the electric supply and a meter so that a bill can be sent to the Urban Village Partnership. The bill for the electricity will only be a few pounds and will cost more to produce than the cost of the electric! This seems quite frankly a ridiculous solution and bureaucracy gone completely mad!"

"The Council seems to have some issue with safety but it is the Council itself that will be manufacturing the lights and putting them up! I am angry that some parts of the district can have Christmas lights and yet others are denied. I am seeking an urgent meeting with the Director responsible to discuss a solution. The project to put up Christmas lights in Idle village is very popular. I am angry that what seems to me a pretty poor response from the Council seems to be denying the people of Idle precisely what it does fund in other parts of the district" says Councillor Sunderland