Calderdale's Christmas trees decorated 'in the spirit of Scrooge and the Grinch'

Councillors whose inboxes have been filling with comments about the seasonal offerings from residents who think they are less than glittering have raised the issue with Cabinet members this week.

Coun Ashley Evans (Lib Dem, Warley) said he had received a number of emails including photographs comparing Halifax’s tree with those at Huddersfield and Bailiff Bridge.

“The comments I have received are in the context of the Best Borough in the North and it looks like we will have cancelled Christmas before the Government does in terms of the quality of trees we put up.

“Really what I am saying is, in terms of A Christmas Carol this certainly makes us look more like Scrooge.

“There is an element of ‘bah, humbug!’ about this – how does it make us look in comparison with other boroughs?” he said.

Hipperholme and Lightcliffe councillor George Robinson is also calling on the council to do better and give Christmas more sparkle.

His says his area’s tree has problems because it is too tall to put lights on properly and its placing on the Memorial Ground makes it inaccessible for a cherry picker vehicle to do the job, adding he and Coun David Kirton (Con, Hipperholme and Lightcliffe) had suggested a smaller tree as a possible solution.

“Poor Christmas trees and Grinch-like lighting are a historic problem in Calderdale – we cannot be the best borough in the north with the worst Christmas preparations in the north, let’s do Christmas right,” said Coun Robinson (Con, Hipperholme and Lightcliffe).

At Cabinet, Leader of the Council, Coun Tim Swift (Lab, Town), responding to Coun Evans’ question, said he would get a response on the situation from the relevant officers who ordered the trees.

“My recollection of previous years is that there is often a supply issue and that what you order and what is delivered is often not always completely matching,” he said.

Coun Swift said he had heard people saying how good the Huddersfield tree is this year but remembered in previous years uncomplimentary letters about that council’s offering looking “a bit threadbare” in their local area media.

He would get a response for Coun Evans and what had been happening.

After the meeting Coun Evans said if the council wished to become the best borough in the north – compared to 19 other comparable northern boroughs – it should pay attention to an issue which was important Calderdale residents.

Coun Robinson has also started an online petition – https://www.sortedbygeorge.co.uk/christmas/ – calling on the council to introduce switch-on events. “These will be feel-good events which can be organised by communities,” he said.

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