Littlehampton Christmas lights: Everything you need to know about 'extended programme'
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The cost of living crisis has forced many towns and cities to call off their annual Bonfire Night fireworks displays and Christmas lights events, with others scaling back their festivities to save cash.
However, a spokesperson for Littlehampton Town Council said: “Christmas illuminations in Littlehampton are not affected by the cost-of-living crisis.
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Hide Ad"Residents and visitors can expect the town centre to have the same level of illuminations as in previous years.”
However, some of the lights in the outskirts of the town centre will not be in place this year.
The reason for this is that the town council ‘set a reduced budget’ for the project over a year ago, ‘on the assumption’ that the public realm works would be completed after the festive season. This would have meant illuminations in the town centre would not have gone ahead.
“However, the public realms works are ahead of schedule and will be completed before the end of November so the council has used its resources to ensure this area of the town has illuminations,” the town council spokesperson said.
What is the new plan for Christmas?
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Hide AdThe Christmas Lights switch-on – ‘which may have had to be held elsewhere if the works had not been completed on time’ – will be going ahead with an ‘extended programme’, the town council said. It will be held on a Saturday (November 19) instead of the usual Friday.
In addition to the switch on event, the council is delivering two further events – Christmas Fun Days, on Saturday, November 26 and Saturday, December 10. This is part of the town centre events programme, jointly funded with Arun District Council.
The spokesperson added: “To further attract visitors to the Town, there will be a brand-new Christmas Art Trail, 12 Days of Christmas, delivered in partnership with Artswork.”
Full details for this year’s Littlehampton Christmas events can be found on the town council’s website.
‘Cuts need to be made’
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Hide AdCelia Thomson-Hitchcock, chairman of Littlehampton Traders Partnership and owner of hair salon Ahead to Toe, questioned how the councils can ‘justify spending excessive amounts’ on power and electricity ‘in these critical times’.
“Cuts need to be made,” she added. “We all need to re-think our spending powers and therefore it’s only right that cuts are made accordingly by local authorities.”
Celia said the coronation of King Charles in May ‘needs to be the most uplifting event’, adding: “So if things need to be scaled-down or cancelled beforehand, so be it, as this will bring a huge amount of revenue into our country from worldwide .
“I agree that things will be scaled down but this country is built on strong and resilient stuff.
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Hide Ad“Things do need to change and we are feeling the pinch but we adapt and are stronger.”
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Councils ‘will do what they can’
A body representing town and parish councils said many were having to ‘think creatively’ to be able to afford such events, for example by reducing the time that festive lights are on for.