Businesses may contribute towards town Christmas lights

A proposed consortium of Newbury businesses could fund the festive lights in future

NEWBURY businesses could soon be contributing towards the future funding of the town's Christmas lights.

Newbury's traditional Christmas lights switch-on event will go ahead as normal this year, with the bulk of the funding coming from the town council.

However, the future funding of the town's lights could come from different sources, including a proposed consortium of Newbury town businesses, who could form a Business Improvement District (BID) next year to replace the Town Centre Partnership.

The town council is currently in its final year of an existing contract for the lights, which together with associated costs of the switch-on event and maintenance, cost more than £30,000 each year.

At the last lighting renewal, an offer of an annual contribution of £5,000 was accepted from the Town Centre Management Steering Group until a BID was established to fund the lights, with the town council hoping to consider a cost-sharing proposal with the BID in the future.

The BID will not, however, be in place by late 2011 and although Parkway management have expressed interest in integrating their Christmas light offering with the rest of the town, town council officers have said it is not sensible, or financially viable, to extend the council's existing contract in its final year to include Parkway.

As a result, Parkway is looking to tender its own three-year contract from Christmas 2011, while offering to stay engaged with the traditional town switch-on.

Last Monday (7), councillors on the community services committee unanimously approved officers' recommendations that for this year, the town and Parkway would go their own separate ways on light provision, while integrating around the event aspects only.

In addition, the council agreed to negotiate an extension to its current contract for Christmas 2012, which would have a zero capital element but an increased repairs and maintenance element.

Councillors also agreed that in future years, provided there was at least a 50 per cent contribution for new Christmas lights in the BID for Christmas 2013 and beyond, the council would look to negotiate a joint contract with Parkway for the provision of the Christmas lights.

Meanwhile, the committee added that it would consider a suggestion from Newbury resident Allan Mercado to extend the lights down the canal towpath from the town bridge towards Victoria Park, which Mr Mercado said could be “an exciting addition” to the town.