Lights out for Motherwell and Bellshill this Christmas

Key thoroughfares will be lit up by bare street lights alone after confirmation came through from the authority that the festive versions could not re-appear this year on cost grounds. It has been stressed that the authority hopes to save £150,000 via the budget cuts flagged up earlier this year.

The Motherwell Times and Bellshill Speaker asked the council to provide a more detailed statement on this decision at a difficult juncture when many family-friendly autumn and winter events have been cancelled owing to Covid-19.

That statement was not forthcoming but we were emailed a budget document from earlier this year instead which stated that the move would “reduce energy, erection, maintenance and storage costs.”

The document also stated that the council should “explore the provision being transferred to community organisations”.

However, the issue has now caused a sizeable row at Motherwell Civic Centre - where Scottish Conservatives called for the decision to be reversed

However council leader Jim Logue stated that “many communities” were undeterred and planning to install their own lights instead.

By contrast, South Lanarkshire Council confirmed that it will providing festive lights this year -although not the big switch-ons that draw large crowds.

For more on this story, see tomorrow’s Motherwell Times.