Exeter set to sparkle with Christmas lights

Exeter looks set to sparkle this Christmas, with the City Council preparing to fund festive illuminations in the city centre.

Businesses in the city are being asked to get behind the generous offer by dipping into their pockets and 'growing' the array of lights!

Members of Exeter City Council's Scrutiny Economy Committee will be asked to back a plan to fund Christmas lights in the centre to the tune of £14,500.

Part of the plan will be to approach shops and businesses to ask for additional funds to bolster the illuminations in neighbouring streets.

The core Christmas lights would be displayed in the High Street, Fore Street and South Street. Businesses would then have an opportunity to 'grow' the scheme in other areas such as Queen Street, Sidwell Street and Paris Street, depending on funding received.

A Task and Finish Group was set up in March to explore ways of funding the lights.

Since 2007 the City Council has taken the lead for delivering Christmas lights in Exeter. However, it was forced to withdraw funding for the lights in 2011 because of budgetary restraints. The city centre was only lit up after private sponsorship deals were reached in 2011 and 2012.

Cllr Rosie Denham, Lead Councillor for Economy and Tourism, said: "The Task and Finish Group unanimously agreed that the city needs Christmas lights to drive up footfall in the city and to ensure that shoppers choose Exeter above other destinations.

"What we are proposing is to put down core funding for quality Christmas lights in the city centre with the proviso that shops and businesses will dig deep and 'grow' the scheme to make the lights even bigger and better throughout including gateways into the city centre."

City Centre Manager John Harvey told The Exeter Daily: "Christmas lights are a really important means of attracting people into Exeter during the vital Christmas trading period. The Task and Finish group has done a really good job with looking at this and I hope that their recommendations will be approved and provide the basis on which we can move forward with the issue in the short to medium term".