Christmas cheer will return to Caerphilly County Borough this year, despite funding cuts for town centre decorations.
In February, Caerphilly Observer first reported that council funding for Christmas lights in towns and villages would be cut as part of £12 million worth of cuts for 2015/16.
The Plaid Cymru group on Caerphilly County Borough Council has accused the Labour authority as acting like “Scrooge” over the funding cut.
But the majority of the 18 community and town councils across the borough have confirmed they will still fund Christmas lights this year.
It is understood many of the local councils previously received £800 for lights from the county council, but town and community councillors are keen to make up the deficit.
Cllr James Pritchard, who sits on Caerphilly Town Council as well as the county borough council, said: “The Christmas lights will be going ahead in Caerphilly. It’s only an £800 shortfall to enable the town council to put the lights on.
The Clerk of Penyrheol, Trecenydd and Energlyn Community Council, Helen Treherne, said: “The ceasing of this grant was discussed at our last meeting and councillors resolved that the festive lights will continue to be erected within the wards this year, albeit the shortfall will have to be covered.
“Councillors feel it is important in this time of austerity and cutbacks to give residents some festive cheer.”
Cllr Laura Tams, Town Clerk of Bargoed, said: “Bargoed Town Council will continue to light up greater Bargoed at Christmas as we understand the social and economic benefits this brings.
“It also sets the scene for a Festive Christmas. The lighting is important for the wellbeing of our residents.”
Blackwood, Bedwas Trethomas and Machen, Rhymney, Darran Valley, Argoed, New Tredegar, Llanbradach and Pwll-y-Pant and Nelson councils all confirmed the lights would return as normal.
But, Risca Town Council are yet to make a decision and Maesycwmmer will only fund some lights.
Cllr Gill Thomas, of Maesycwmmer Community Council, said: “Maesycwmmer will be funding some lights, but we are not certain we can make up for the loss of the grant from Caerphilly County Borough Council. Cuts may be needed either this year or certainly in future years.”
The Plaid Cymru group on Caerphilly County Borough Council and the leading Labour group have exchanged a war of words over the cut to Christmas lights.
Plaid Cymru leader, Cllr Colin Mann said: “I hope that some of our town and community councils may be able to take up some of the slack, but really the county borough council should be leading the way.
“If community councils decide to cover the additional costs it could mean local taxpayers having to dig deeper in their pockets.
“Unfortunately, in some areas of the county borough there are no community councils so local communities will struggle to make any provision.”
Council leader Cllr Keith Reynolds said: “Plaid have only criticism but no answers to the financial difficulties facing our council.
“Our priority is to protect social services for our most vulnerable residents and support other vital services that people depend upon on a daily basis.”
A Labour group spokesperson added: “Tory Westminster Government cuts to our budget mean we’re forced to take tough decisions.
“What key council services does nationalist group leader Cllr Colin Mann want to cut to pay for his Christmas lights?”
This has been reported elsewhere (Wales Online) in rather sensationalist fashion. The real story is that the Borough is looking around for savings, the Christmas lights are seen as a painless saving, the smaller councils then make up the shortfall.
In the case of Caerffili the £800 grant is a small portion of the money actually expended, more than £6,500. The Town Council will make up the deficit. This shortfall represents the community council tax from about 60 houses and more than this have been newly built this year.
Of much more importance is the removal of toilet attendants from our public conveniences and the decision to cease locking up the gates on Morgan Jones Park. These are matters not so easily dealt with by the Town Council and yet they remain unreported by the press. It is cuts like this that will effect the daily quality of life in the town.
Good to see Caerphilly Town Councillors, Cllrs Richard Williams and Labour County and Town Councillor Jamie Pritchard Confirming that the Caerphilly Town Christmas lights will burn as bright as ever this Christmas
And Caerphilly Council want us all to be grateful for their generosity, well they can stick their fairy lights where the sun doesn’t shine, they spend more money on lavish catering for their endless pointless meetings than they do on Christmas lights.
Paul I am not aware that Caerffii Town Council spends anything at all on ‘lavish catering’ I must be missing out somewhere!
It is Caerphilly Council who should be putting up all the money for any Christmas lights, they waste huge sums of money and then claim there’s nothing in the pot for a few Christmas lights, and yet again some faceless Labour spokesman rolls out the same rhetoric……”it’s the evil Tories in Westminster who have cut our funding” – change the record, that lame excuse is wearing thin now.
Yes, they (CCBC) do waste large sums of money. I have seen many examples of this the most notorious being the executive pay scandal. This, I estimate, is costing tax payers £10,000 per week.
Compared to this sum of money the cost of Christmas decorations is a pee in the pond.
To be fair Paul, we, in Plaid, used the same reason when we were in power, and to keep comments consistant with the truth the reduction in budgets IS due to UK government settlements, WHERE cuts are made is a different argument, imaybe this is what you meant to say?
I hope you are not including Plaid Cymru Council`s in this `scattergun` comment Paul.
What about the Christmas lights in Aberbargoed theres no mention of them are we having any ????
The Llanbradach Community Council put on a much much better show of Christmas Lights then the second rate `fizzle` put on by the Caerphilly Town Council. And I think I heard Plaid Cymru Councillors on the Town Council complaining that they had to do all the work to put them on, Duh!!!! not when it costs what it does as outlined in the recent on line survey announcment. I understand a professional Firm are engaged to do it, NOT COUNCILLORS.
I think it is the case that Town Councillors `assist` the private firm to erect the lights, and perhaps take them down.
I wonder if the buget figures you talk about which it states are the `cost` of the Christmas Light in Caerphilly Town includes the annual storage and maintainance costs of the lights?.