Shrewsbury Christmas lights in line for revamp?
Thursday 26th May 2011, 3:45PM BST.
Shrewsbury could have a complete overhaul of its Christmas lights this year, according to council chiefs, in a bid to boost tourism by turning the town into a magical winter wonderland.
Bosses at Shrewsbury Town Council are weighing up the idea of scrapping its “dated” annual display and instead hire a professional company to come in and set up their own decorations.
Councillor Peter Nutting, leader of the authority, said that they were investigating the cost implications of hiring lights rather than using the existing ones.
He said it could pave the way for more modern and awe-inspiring displays which could also provide tourism benefits.
Members of the council’s recreation and leisure committee will meet next Wednesday night to consider proposals by French-based company Blachere Illuminations to enhance the town’s Christmas lighting provision.
The company is one of the world’s biggest suppliers and manufacturers of outdoor Christmas lighting. The cost of its display schemes range from £5,000 to £3.5 million.
Councillor Nutting said: “We would like to refresh the lights this year and make a special display for the town and we are considering approaching it in a totally different way.”
Nathan Mepham, project manager for Blachere who lives in Ford, near Shrewsbury, said: “We have got a couple of designs that will make Shrewsbury look absolutely fantastic. I think the town deserves something like this.”
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To bring in tourism, the Town Council should concentrate on reducing the parking charges. When this has been achieved and people start to use Shrewsbury again, then think about new Christmas lights.
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And who is going to foot the bill for this Mr Nutting?
Yes that’s right the public of Shrewsbury will… Why don’t you just leave things the way they are and stop medling with things, this town has had enough chop and change from the Council and it’s ruined enough as it is. No ones really bothered about the xmas lights thing… it’s time to move on the next generation couldn’t care less about it.
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Ahhhhh. That’s why the car parking charges have increased!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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oh go no, it aint wk dont try and fix it, the attraction of SY1 xmas lighting is in its simplicity
keep it simple, plain white lights please
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Why don’t they go back to Charlie’s Store’s in Shrewsbury, where they bought the last lot.. (Fact)
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Not a good idea. us the tax payers will fit the bill.and well why spend so much on xmas lights(when they are used for less then 2 mouths a year.Council should concentrate on filling up the empty shops lurking around town.
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I’ve lived in the town centre, and if I have to see “Happy Clristmas” one more year because they haven’t replaced the bulbs in the ‘h’ I may go crazy haha!
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Shrewsbury Town Centre’s trading problems will certainly not be solved by the addition of a few [expensive] garish cross street light spans.
Hire in a professional company?
Shrewsbury already has the most professional and knowledgeable Christmas Lights Team in the region. These skilled LOCAL electricians know the intricacies of the ‘town centre electrics’ and year after year, they put unbelievable levels of enthusiasm into setting up a Christmas display that they hope will please the local townsfolk. These talented individuals have created the magical display that has been ‘low budget’ and ‘high impact’. The display itself is far from ‘dated’ and is envied & admired by many other towns across the region. The exquisite and subtle lights draw people from miles around to admire the quality and simplicity that has been described as ‘better than Regents Street’. Scour the Shropshire Star letters page for the past few years in December and you will see the notes of praise from visitors and residents alike.
I know all this because I had the honour of working with this Shrewsbury team for several years and I have yet to work with a more talented and committed bunch of people who care deeply about the town, its residents and its trade.
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Fay. You really are clueless. Obviously you have never heard of the code of practice. Just remember negligence is never accepted. Try and get all the facts before you start bleating!!!!
In the current scheme of things the amount of monies that was spent putting the lights up when you were around was ridiculous.
How many of your installers had their G39? I know the answer……!
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I get so fed up of this town, we have far to many people trying to “change” things by spending vast amounts of money on rubbish. There us nothing wrong with thelights we have, they still look modern and festive.
We need to reduce parking charges and rents/rates on shops to bring life into the town. All the empty shops should be decorated like the empty shops in chester.
Groups like Shop in the Loop & the Council waste too much money on naff tv adverts. We need to invest in local businesses and the town in general.
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I thought the council were short of money?
What do they mean by a “professional company?
Surely the lights we have now are installed by
professionals aren’t they?
Will the professional company be local?
I doubt it therefore putting local people out of work.
The lights are fine stop wasting our money
and PLEASE LISTEN to the people who pay you.
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Sorry but Shrewsbury’s christmas lights are boring. No colour at all just white everywhere except up Grope Lane. Bring back a good colourful display and cheer everyone up.
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Good grief!! they realy do live in cloud cookoo land thease bureaucrats.
Job losses in the public sector left right and center, Police, Ambulance, fire brigade all facing cutbacks.
There are families out there finding it hard to feed themselves let alone afford a mediocre Christmas at best.
GET A GRIP YOU OVER PAID MUPPETS spending a fortune on a few shiny baubles for a month or so is not going to help anyone.
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After the councillors 100% rise in allowances a couple of years ago which they generously and with great publicity agreed to take a cut of 5% recently it is nice to hear whilst they have slashed funding for vulnerable people they are working on ideas like this.
It will do nothing for blind people but be very cheery for the homeless and increased numbers of street people as funding was stopped for a shelter for them.
It makes us feel confident that we are right to be paying for their public service, doesn’t it?
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Surely there are UK, or even Shropshire, based companies capable of designing and providing display??????
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I like Shrewsburys Christmas lights (The green and gold ones). If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.
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Parking charges up.
Local jobs going to the wall.
Cutbacks hitting everybody left, right and centre.
Now seems like the perfect time to let everyone know about plans to spend money that’s in short supply with an overseas company on something trivial which nobody really seems to care about.
PR faux pas on a relatively epic scale.
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About time to the Christmas lights last year and switch on where the worst i had seen ! The same old boring display , It needs some more life put in and i hope the same effort will also be put into a better switch on as i vowed i and my son would not return to such a terrible event as last years ! If it wasnt for the shopping centres do something then it would have been a sham
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It’s not Christmas…It’s Winterval.
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Shrewsbury’s lights each year are pathetic.They are the same every year. There was no Christmas spirit in the town last year at all. Shrewsbury could be a magical Christmas shopping and tourism destination which can only benefit the town
I say go the whole hog – new lights, ice skating in the Square, artioficial snow falling, chesnut sellers, a street market into the evening, and some DECENT ads. Plus lower parking fees over the Christmas period
We should try to put Shrewsbury on the map again, and stop whinging about spending some money, that in the long run, will recoup itself many times over
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New lights at great cost wont make any difference because the retail units that arent empty only hold coffe shops and charity stores.
Get a grip!
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nobody will see them anyway because no one can afford to park or pay the increased park and ride and arriva bus service charges….Shropshire Council GET A GRIP before we have a ghost town with pretty lights !!!!
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What a ridiculous idea. Rate-payers money should not go to a large French company when there are local professionals who already do such an excellent job. Local money should always be spent supporting local business when possible.
Councillors should look at the lighting display in Ironbridge which is tasteful and much admired. I’m sure this must have been done on a small budget as it is a small parish.
Have they asked the team who already do the lights what they can do to improve the display, chances are they have ideas!!
Whoever designed the lights in the Square is to be commended.
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Sorry FAY, you are writing a load of rubbish
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i love shrewsbury’s christmas lights, the ones by the station have the luxury of being on throughout the year. red, red and amber turning to green and back to amber! beware how you cross the road and a merry christmas
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…and I love the constant mobile flashing blue lights tearing up the High Street…most festive they are too…well done all
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Have you councillers nothing better to do or to spend money on??
A multi national company – you are having a laugh ?? What ever they quote you will get done twice over – or should that be – WE will get done twice over……….
Bet you don’t even get quotes from anywhere else. China maybe a good one to try – you would get a ‘hole’ lot of buck for your money there !!
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A winter wonderland, would love to see that happening in town. From a few expensive new lights. Go back to the drawing boards after all you appear to have nothing better to do.
How nice to be able to spend tax payers money on what you decide. Is this really the best use of it? In this economy ?? With so many people out of work and STRUGGLING??
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I am convinced there was a different post above mine. Who is messing with them ?? Where did it go??
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After reading these comments I am shocked that most aren’t willing to be positive about something that could boost tourism and community sprit in the town. If you look into the company the council are in discussions with they are UK based despite someone thinking they only operate globally, I think the guy quoted in the paper actually lives here. Most of the comments haven’t been thought through – the town council do not control parking charges so how can they be held to ransom for wanting to improve our lighting display? I personally think we should wait to find out more from the council rather than the press before we make judgement??
Just a thought.
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After looking into to the company that may be supplying Shrewsbury Xmas lights, they are the worlds largest supplier of Festive lights. They currently supply to most of the local councils throughout Shropshire and surrounding counties.
Shrewsbury lights are not the best in Shropshire by any means…. why is it that we have had the same lights every year.
I understand that the amount of money spent can be quite high but the level of business brought in to support local business justifies it all.
A lot of hot air going around and maybe you should get out more as Shrewsbury is always busy and full of people dispite the parking issues. I just can’t believe that the river is being removed……talk about that.
Generally interested….
Dan
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