Ringwood becomes latest town to turn off the Christmas lights

ANOTHER town turns off the Christmas lights: Business owners are furious as council leaves high street in the dark due to rising costs

• Christmas lights were switched off on Ringwood high street in Hampshire
• The surging cost of energy has forced councils to cancel markets and displays
• Authorities in Cambridgeshire, Surrey, Bristol and Kent cancelled festive lights 

Another UK town has turned off its Christmas lights due to rising energy costs, leaving business owners furious at the impact it will have on seasonal trade. 

Traders in the town of Ringwood, an idyllic market town in Hampshire, have seen festive lights turn off on the high street, as the town council suffered from rising costs. 

Councils across the UK have been cancelling Christmas lights and other events, blaming the surging cost of energy. 

It comes after authorities in Cambridgeshire, Surrey, Bristol, Kent and Buckinghamshire announced they had cancelled their light switch-ons for this year. 

The roads on either side of Christchurch Road have been lit up but Ringwood Town Council has ‘left out’ the high street because of rising costs.

Traders in the town of Ringwood, an idyllic market town in Hampshire, have seen festive lights turn off on the high street. Pictured: Business owner Shad Mannan in an area with lights (left) and in the area without lights (right)

The roads on either side of Christchurch Road have been lit up but the Ringwood Town Council has ‘left out’ the high street because of rising costs

The Christmas lights usually encourage shoppers to stay out later and businesses were hoping for they would help boost sales after a tough year.

Shad Mannan owns a popular Indian restaurant that stays open late at night.

He said: ‘I started reaching out to the council a few years ago to find out why our street isn’t included in the Christmas festivities and have been told it would be looked into, yet every year the lights go up and we still have nothing.

‘As a business we feel underappreciated and overlooked. We know the council doesn’t have unlimited funds. All we’re asking is that we’re considered to be included.

‘All we want is for Ringwood to be the very best, thriving market town it can be with all businesses included.’

Other businesses along the street like Price’s Fish and Chips, Amarone Italian restaurant and the newsagents are unhappy with the decision.

Extravagant festive light displays on high streets and homes are a tradition up and down the country during the winter months – but many have been switched off this year as councils struggle to afford the bill of keeping them on. 

Hartlepool Borough Council said it didn’t have enough cash to stage its festive light switch-on, blaming a lack of grants, funding, and the fact it has already splashed out money to pay for this year’s firework display, last month.

Ely city council in Cambridgeshire said its beloved light display cost £9,000. 

Meanwhile, Guildford Borough Council claimed it could neither ‘afford nor justify’ funding its annual high street lights, which attracts thousands each year. 

Councils across the UK have been cancelling Christmas light switch-ons and similar festive events as they blame the surging cost of energy. Pictured: The 2022 Oxford Street light switch-on

Christmas for thousands of shoppers across Britain will look markedly different this year as a number of traditional light displays will no longer go ahead. Pictured: The Regent Street lights in 2020

Christmas markets have also been cancelled, such as in Southampton, Glasgow and Leeds. 

Some areas will continue the annual festivities but have taken cost-cutting measures. 

Oxford Street in London will use LED bulbs for limited hours – between 3pm to 11pm – to help shave unnecessary waste off bills.

Chris Wilkins, Ringwood town clerk said the local shops contributed ‘nothing’ to the cost of the Christmas lights.

He said: ‘The cost of the Christmas lights is borne entirely by this council out of the council tax levied on local households – the business community contributes nothing to the cost and this council receives nothing from the business rates.

‘Our councillors are acutely aware of the burden of council tax on local people and strives to keep costs down and ensure the town gets maximum value from the money.

‘We would dearly love to extend the Christmas display to include more premises but councillors have made the difficult judgment that what we have at present is the best we can afford.

‘I appreciate this does leave some premises out and we regret this but hope residents will understand the reasoning behind it.’

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