Altrincham’s Christmas lights could be severely depleted this year – unless local businesses and other donors can raise £70,000 to fill the gap left by a cut in council funding.
Trafford Council cut its Christmas lights subsidy – which in previous years has been around £50,000 – as it slashed £22.5m from its 2015/16 budget in the face of severe government cutbacks.
Christmas lights around the Stamford Quarter are funded by the shopping centre’s owners, but there is currently no funding at all for any Christmas lights elsewhere in Altrincham.
So the council has launched a ‘Festive 50’ sponsorship scheme across the borough in an attempt to raise £70,000 to meet the shortfall, asking businesses to spend at least £50 in return for a branded window sticker and poster, an a place on the Festive 50 Facebook page.
Below: Altrincham’s Christmas lights are switched on last year
A council spokesperson told us that the Christmas lights decision had been subject to an “extensive” consultation process and that further discussions with businesses and residents had determined that there were more essential areas of the budget to protect.
She confirmed that the subsidy for Christmas lights had been reduced in 2014 and “removed fully as part of the budget proposals approved by full Council in February 2015”.
The spokesperson added: “As part of its commitment to help maintain thriving town centres across the borough, the Council is currently working with a range of business and other partners of all sizes to raise sponsorship for this year’s town centre Christmas lights and is hopeful of achieving this.
“However if the money is not raised through sponsorship, the Council does not have funding to subsidise Christmas lights.”
Altrincham’s annual Christmas lights switch-on is one of the highlights of the borough’s festive programme, attracting thousands of people.
Below: Some of Altrincham’s Christmas lights last year
