NI council faces backlash over cost of annual Christmas lights extravaganza

With trading opportunities decimated due to the coronavirus pandemic, some business owners and political representatives have questioned the wisdom of this year’s £535,000 expenditure.

One Lisburn restaurant owner said the council was pressing ahead with an initiative to bring people into the city at a time when many traders will be closed and unable to benefit.

Stevie Higginson, proprietor of The Square Bistro, said the money could have been used to help traders facilitate more customers to eat outside over the Christmas shopping period.

“We are trying to do a bit of a takeaway service but that is never enough to cover rent and staff wages. In the last two weeks we had to find our 20% of the furlough costs,” he said.

“We are not going to be able to operate inside...and we have got scope to do something outside [in Lisburn Square}, but there is no real support for that, and nobody is coming up with any ideas.

“That money could be spent to create spaces...for street food and that kind of thing, but they would rather spend it on lights,” Mr Higginson added.

Lisburn and Castlereagh Council is tied in to a three-year contract to provide the Lisburn light show – which includes a light canopy in Bow Street, a light tunnel in Lisburn Square and an illuminated angel in Mark Square – and this year is also going to provide illuminated attractions in the Dundonald area.

Cllr Allan Ewart of the DUP told the BBC Talkback programme last week that the council was doing all it can to support local traders, and that the Christmas lights show had boosted seasonal footfall.

“The past two years have been a great success, with footfall numbers increasing and very positive feedback from the business community,” he said.

Ulster Unionist Jim Dillon said he believes the three-year contract meant that the cost would have to be met, even if the lighting displays were cancelled.

“When you are tied into a three-year programme you can’t give it up easily,” he said.

“It doesn’t really matter if we agreed or didn’t agree with it if we are still going to have to pay.” Alliance councillor Sorcha Eastwood said the initial support of her party colleagues for the Christmas lights was based on “incomplete information,”

She said that “as soon as that became apparent” they tried to get an itemised costing in an effort to have the overall spend reduced.

“We certainly don’t want to stop Christmas – everybody needs a little bit more cheer than usual this year – but it is the height of the pandemic and 17,000 people are furloughed across the Lisburn/Castlereagh area”.

Mayor of Lisburn and Castlereagh, Councillor Nicholas Trimble, said: “This year has been tremendously difficult for many people due to the Covid pandemic and the necessary restrictions it has caused. I firmly believe that our council should celebrate Christmas this year to provide some much needed festive cheer for everyone at this difficult time.

“This is the third year of the Lisburn Light Festival programme, which has proven very popular in previous years, with both the public and local businesses. The majority of the Christmas spend this year by LCCC was committed by a financial arrangement agreed unanimously back in 2018, with extra funding to deliver new lighting in the Castlereagh end of the council, also agreed unanimously.”

Cllr Trimble added: “The Ulster Unionist Party remains committed to achieving value for money in all public expenditure and we will ensure that the costs of the Light Festival are reviewed going forward.”

The cost of the Lisburn lights is more than double the typical spend in Belfast of around £250,000.

Belfast City councillers are expected to ratify this year’s Christmas lights budget at a full meeting on the council on Monday evening (November 2).

In the Mid and East Antrim Council area, this year’s budget is £55,000, while North Down will spend £60k.

A BBC report suggested Newry, Mourne and Down will spend aroundf £180,000 with another £120k being spent by Antrim and Newtownabbey.