THE cost of lighting up town centres for Christmas has hit more than £1m this year – but council bosses say the lights are now 'greener' than ever.
Town hall chiefs say they will save money on energy bills because cash has been spent replacing old bulbs with more efficient ones.
Manchester was the biggest spender by far at £500,000 – nearly five times more than the £120,000 spent in Bolton.
But Manchester council said the cash included £360,000 to erect, de-rig and store its lights, including the illuminated Father Christmas in Albert Square.
The figure includes the cost of the switch-on event and 400 LED-lit trees.
Coun Pat Karney, Manchester's city centre spokesman, said: “We are the UK's number one Christmas city and have expanded the number of lights this year to one million.”
Prodperoous
He said it was important to attract visitors and ensure a prosperous Christmas for businesses in the economic downturn.
He added: "The city centre's Christmas lighting displays have also been organised to fit in with our aim of reducing Manchester's carbon emissions and as such are more expensive.
“The lights are based on LED technology, meaning they use 80 per cent less power than regular bulb-based displays.”
He said the council had reduced the lights' operating hours to ensure they use less energy and would be working with contractors in coming years to ensure displays are more efficient.
Bolton council said it has been replacing its 20-year-old lights with energy-efficient bulbs over the past four years.
A spokeswoman said: “It's all about improving the town centre and making it more welcoming.”
Tameside spent £100,000 – a figure unchanged since 2006.
A spokeswoman said new energy-efficient lights had cut bills and would reduce the need for repairs.
Rochdale has spent £87,000, an increase of £3,000 on last year, by reusing a lot of last year's displays. A number of lights have been replaced with LEDs.
Wigan said it spent under £85,000, about the same as the previous year. A spokesman said 'green energy' was 'very important' in the borough.
Stockport council spent £65,000 on lights and has invested £60,000 in supporting local areas by providing decorations and free parking.
Energy-efficient
Council leader Dave Goddard said: “All the town centre's festive lights are manufactured using energy-efficient LED technology.”
Oldham council said about £60,000 had been spent, but said new bulbs would cut energy bills by about a third.
Trafford spent £54,000 and also received cash from local businesses.
About £54,000 was also spent in Salford, much of it from the city's community committees.
Bury council spent £27,000, with a further £6,420 provided by local businesses, town centre managers and local area partners.
A spokesman said: “The overall cost of running the lights should be lower, as we replaced many old lights last year with new, more energy efficient LEDs.”
HOW MUCH WAS SPENT IN EACH BOROUGH
MANCHESTER: £500,000
BOLTON: £120,000
TAMESIDE: £100,000
ROCHDALE: £87,000
WIGAN: £85,000
STOCKPORT: £65,000
OLDHAM: £60,000
SALFORD: £54,000
TRAFFORD: £54,000
BURY: £33,420
TOTAL: £1,158,420
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'Manchester was the biggest spender by far at £500,000 – nearly five times more than the £120,000 spent in Bolton.'
Talk about sensationalistic journalism-if it was nearly 5 times the amount, it wouldnt be far short of £600k, as it is it is just over four times the amount-did the work placement write this article?
Still cant get my head round all this 'climate change'. Has anyone ever questioned how we got to the type of climate we have today from the Ice Age millions of years ago? Pretty sure they didnt have 4x4's (and I drive a Peugeot 207 before you ask!) then or aerosols or Xmas lights, but the change happened anyway by means of natural progression.
Climate change is just an excuse for student types not to wash and look scruffy at daft protests about something they know little about. If it was that important, surely the recent conference in Copenhagen could have been done via video link rather than people flying in from all over the world?!?!!?
They should have spent the money on gritting the roads instead, my daughter has got a brand new car and has not been able to drive around over Christmas, she only just passed her test in the summmer, the roads and footpaths are very bad.
Bolton certainly should have left its money in its pocket - the uniform, icy blue glow from its no doubt super-efficient new LED lights leave create a shopping ambience about as festive as a day spent in an industrial meat freezer.
Poor Bolton. It has certainly lost the plot, having led the way from the 60s to 90s, a period when Manchester was ideologically wedded to driving away motorists and seemed unable or unwilling to do anything about its moribund city centre.
Salford £54,000, most of which went on Worsley and surrounding roads leading to Worsley, West of Peel Green roundabout got nothing as usual.
Also, whilst spending obscene amounts of money, not much gritting went on did it, were all the workers sat in warm workshops replacing bulbs whilst the snow and ice came round them?
Totally agree Bubbob.....
One million pound spent lighting up Greater Manchester for Christmas is a disgrace. Do the Councils know we are in a recession and this money could have been put to better use. Don't get me wrong there is no one who enjoys christmas and it's trimmings more than me but at times like this we all have to get our priorities right.
Mad Welsh Scotsman, Cadishead
28/12/2009 at 10:26
Don't quite understand your comment about Worsley getting most of the £54000. The Chrismas lights in the Worsley village area are funded by the local community association, not the council. I understand the same applies to Monton was well.
The trouble with manchester lights is that they are at the town hall why not put them up in Piccadilly where all the buses stop and where more people can see them I for one have not even been down the the town hall square to see them as it is too far away from the shops
Manchester should stop spending money on things for city centre shops. If they are in the city centre then they can obviously afford their own. Or let the London owners of most of the property in the city centre who lease it out pay for a change. I'm an atheist but I wont get a rebate for these lights celebrating a so-called virgin birth 2000 years ago.
"We are the UK's number one Christmas city " - Pat Karney
What on earth does that mean, you overpaid bag of wind? Complete nonsense as usual.
'Manchester was the biggest spender by far at £500,000 – nearly five times more than the £120,000 spent in Bolton.'
Talk about sensationalistic journalism-if it was nearly 5 times the amount, it wouldnt be far short of £600k, as it is it is just over four times the amount-did the work placement write this article?
Still cant get my head round all this 'climate change'. Has anyone ever questioned how we got to the type of climate we have today from the Ice Age millions of years ago? Pretty sure they didnt have 4x4's (and I drive a Peugeot 207 before you ask!) then or aerosols or Xmas lights, but the change happened anyway by means of natural progression.
Climate change is just an excuse for student types not to wash and look scruffy at daft protests about something they know little about. If it was that important, surely the recent conference in Copenhagen could have been done via video link rather than people flying in from all over the world?!?!!?
bubbob, manchester
First of all - 500 thousand pounds actually IS almost five times 120 thousand pounds. With regards climate change, I have a question. Not an answer to bubbobs flat earth society points. I would like to know where the LED bulbs come from, before the Karney King starts blathering on about doing our bit to save the world. Did they come from china pat? Or some other emerging economy? Because if they did i think we all know that the carbon footprint produced is probably far greater than if you had kept the older, cheaper bulbs.
So it's time for " Barmy Karney " to brag about spending £500,000 on Christmas lights. Waite till the next council elections " Big Mouth ".
'First of all - 500 thousand pounds actually IS almost five times 120 thousand pounds.'
Four times £120k = £480k, a shortfall of just £20k.
Five times £120k = £600k, £100k over the cost of £500k.
So which is the more factual-just over 4 times, or almost 5 times?
You do the math cloth head!
I for one think it's money well spent.
I came to the switch-on last year as well as this year, and seeing all those people together in one place was a very moving experience, not to mention a brilliant show both years.
Also, the city centre got a massive boost from those coming in on the night and also during the day, which ultimately benefits all of us. We'd all be complaining if, as the hub of Greater Manchester, we spent the same amount on a city centre spectacle as Bolton did?
Pick your fights, I say.
Having moved up here in 2001, I can honestly say that Manchester is bigger and better than ever and the time & planning which goes in to this and many of the other city events we have just shows how strong and diverse our community is.
Anyone who's got a complaint about it, i simply say 'Bah, Humbug!' to.
The true cost was probably closer to £2,000, like the hoax 999 call which apparently also cost £1M originally...
I still don't like the new father christmas. can we have the old one back please.
@ Chris Shelmerdine , Hulme
Since your daughter has "only just passed her test in the summmer" I am surprised that you are keen for her to be out driving in any kind of wintry road conditions. Might I suggest that you treat her to an additional belated Christmas present of advanced driving lessons. Afterall, presumably you'd like her to enjoy challenging road conditions for a long time to come.