Christmas cancelled in Crownhill

Lights out to save cash

There will be no Christmas lights in Crownhill this year due to rising costs.

The annual attraction has been estimated to cost in the region of £7,000.

Plymouth City Council has been asked if it can waive road closure fees.

At a Plymouth City Council meeting this week Cllr Chris Wood (Con, Eggbuckland) said the lights would not be a feature this year.

“The main reason for that is the costs of hosting the event and putting up and replacing the lights,” he said.

“To close a road for a category one or two event on the highway costs £644.” 

Cllr Wood said events like this were “brilliant for the community”.

Cabinet member for events Sally Haydon (Lab, St Budeaux) has agreed to look at ways to help.

Cllr Wood said last year he was able to contribute some of his councillor grant towards supporting the lights but that was not enough to get the lights on this year. 

On his Facebook page he said that next year he is “determined to have the village lit up for Christmas” and has put out an appeal to get a Crownhill Village Association set up which can act as a larger community-led organisation.

“I haven’t started one from scratch before but I am very willing to act as a catalyst with anyone who would like to help,” he said. “Our sincere thanks should go to Sam who has worked so hard in recent years to put the lights up, as a community I think we should now rally round to keep this going and have local input into how we would like the village decorated in future.”

People commenting on the post said they were surprised by the huge cost of erecting the lights and suggested the shops all contribute.

“Could there not be a fund up where the public can help towards the costs of things. Real shame!,” said one.

Another said: “Have we got really that poor as a city that we can’t even afford to put lights up? Surely council fees can be waived, yet another thing for the community is lost.”

“This is very sad,” said another resident. “I did notice a dip in the lights last year but the biggest sad thing was no big Christmas tree outside the co-op funeral building which it usually lovely.”