Ludlow Town Council is consulting on replacing the Christmas lights and, most controversially, it is considering replacing the traditional tree with an artificial tree.
An upgrading of Christmas decorations in Ludlow would be welcome. Last year, a number of people commented on how disappointing the town council decorations were in Ludlow compared to other towns. New decorations for the town are very much needed.
I am horrified by the suggestion that an artificial Christmas tree could be hired. It is bound to look naff and be made of a lot of plastic. We are a town surrounded by woodland and forests. A real tree looks more aesthetic. It will be processed to chippings and compost at the end of the season. That is better for the image of a green thinking town like Ludlow.
Christmas and New Year are busy times for the town centre. People like to walk through town centres and see the decorations. The higher footfall over the period is good for our markets and independent traders, including our annual festive events, Tinsel Tuesday markets, the Christmas lights switch-on and the new Winter Festival. Most shops decorate their windows, some with quite elaborate schemes.
The town council estimates the costs of upgrading the lights as around £38,000, including:
- Three year lease hire of reusable Christmas tree: £13,694.14 in total.
- Three year lease hire of braid lights for Corve Street and Broad Street: £5,788.80.
- Three year lease hire of Snowflake project for the Buttercross: £1,667.20.
The consultation runs until 10 May 2023.
How about planting the largest mature tree possible to replace the huge one that was felled in Castle Gardens after the big storm?
Decorated each year ican be the a growing gift to future Ludlovians for decade to come.
I agree – permanence is important.
I seem to recall that the Council’s ‘green credentials’ were displayed at the recent resident’s meeting…..
How much does a real tree cost? That would be useful to compare. Those figures mean nothing to me!
The Choral Society could be asked to sing when the tree is switched on.
The real trees that we use in this town look so tacky and awful. I think an artificial one would benefit more and look a lot more appealing
A simple design, say snowflakes, and uniformity in colour ( white )
To unify the effect wherever you look.
Short strings of colour here and there just look bitty, and don’t enhance our lovely buildings.
The tree being the exception.
Maybe invite local businesses to sponsor the tree each year. There’s £13,694.14 saved which can go towards better lights.
It seems a proposal to hire stuff for 3 years will cost £38000, at the end of which we will have to pay the same (or much more due to inflation) again for the next 3 years. For this kind of money can we not buy something we can reuse for many years – surely cheaper in the medium to long term if not in the very short term? If we can’t afford it all at once, make it a rolling programme (eg buy upgraded Corve Street lights this year, Buttercross decorations next year etc).