Residents of a town in the north west of England have been left upset after their local council ordered their ‘wonderful’ Christmas lights be taken down.
Proud residents of Moreton, in Wirral, Merseyside, have spent a lot of time and effort preparing the local area for the Christmas season ahead with beautiful decorations and festive cheer.
A donation collected by Moreton in Bloom from big-hearted residents enabled the community group to purchase lights and decorations for their iconic spot, Moreton Cross Roundabout – for all to see. It’s a tradition that has been ongoing for a few years as residents want to keep up with neighbouring towns in the area. Decorations include a tall Christmas tree, gingerbread men, candy canes, snowmen, and a recent addition has been colourful fairy lights on railings.
However, Wirral Borough Council has authorised the removal of the railing lights because it is deemed to affect “road user’s visibility”, bringing festive cheer to an end in the town.
According to Moreton in Bloom, the railing lights had to be switched off by 11am on Thursday, December 14.
Alison Holmes, Moreton resident and committee member of Moreton in Bloom said: “Kids just absolutely love the lights and Christmas lights bring a lot of happiness. We even get messages from residents who live in a different town who drive purposefully to see our lights as they have gained a wonderful reputation.”
She added: “Unfortunately we’ve been told to take the fairy lights down from the railings, and we’re hoping to speak to the council in more detail to see how we can work together.
Working as a team of 50 people, the whole community worked together to raise money for the Christmas lights and make it a “welcoming environment”.
Permission is usually granted for lights, but it is the first year they decided to put lights on the railings in addition to their usual display. They agree there is an “element of risk” to new changes, but believe it was “very low”.
Moreton in Bloom is awaiting further written information from Wirral Borough Council.
Deemed a risk to road users, a Wirral Council spokesperson told Express.co.uk: “Organisers of community Christmas lights are required to obtain permission from the local authority on safety grounds, providing details that any lights and other electricals have been fully PAT (safety) tested, evidence that they have sufficient Public Liability Insurance cover and evidence that any contractor they use to install the lighting has relevant accreditation and appropriate insurance cover.
“Specifically at Moreton, organisers have attached low-level lights to safety rails at the roadside. These ‘visirails’ are especially designed to assist pedestrians and road users’ visibility through this very busy junction and we have no choice but to insist that these unauthorised lights are removed so that visibility can be restored and maintained at all times. That requirement only affects the lights on the railings, not any other parts of the area’s festive display.”
It is “disappointing” news for the four ladies who put up the lights and “couldn’t feel their fingers” after a cold night decorating the roundabout to spread Christmas joy on November 25.
