TOWN councillors are to carry out an urgent review of Wellington’s £25,000 Christmas lights following criticism about value for money and their performance.

Councillors will debate the issues at their monthly meeting on Monday when they will be told that a three-year deal with the lighting suppliers has come to an end.

The council agreed in 2016 to rent Christmas illuminations from West Buckland firm Festive Lighting Co to replace an ageing set of lights which have since been sold to Minehead Town Council.

However, criticism of the rising cost of the annual display came from Rockwell Green councillor Marcus Barr last month when he said the budget had doubled in five years and was still going up.

County and local councillor Andrew Govier said: “The lights cost a lot of money and to see those in Fore Street out is very disappointing. It is a real shame that some of them have not been working.”

This year’s official Christmas lights switch-on ceremony was held on November 30 when hundreds of families attended the occasion in the town centre.

Further criticism was later aired when some of the lights in Fore Street and South Street began to fail to work properly and appeared to be turned off for long periods.

Wellington Mayor Cllr Janet Lloyd told the WWN: “It was unfortunate that the district council, who install the lights for us each year, discovered some faults with electrical connections and timers too late in the cycle for us to do anything about it before Christmas.

“So, we have had to make the best of a challenging situation and get through the Christmas period before we look at what to do for next year and the longer-term future.

“The Christmas lights do cost the town council a considerable amount of money, largely because the charge from district for putting them up has risen over the last few years.

“But we know the lights are very popular with people and when they are fully working, as they were for much of the time this year, then they really do look fantastic and are a credit to the town.

“We are really grateful also for the support we receive from businesses in the town which help to provide the power for the lights, without which it would be much more challenging to fund them.

“I do not think the people of Wellington would want us to scrap the Christmas lights altogether.

“I remember a few years ago when Taunton were not going to put up any Christmas lights and the repercussions that were felt then.

“So, for me, the issue is how we get best value from the money we spend on them.

“That is why I have asked for a debate on Monday, straight after Christmas, so we can all air our thoughts on where we go from here.

“Our meeting is open to the public and it would be lovely to hear from anybody who wants to come along and tell us directly how they feel about the Christmas lights.”

Cllr Barr was approached by the WWN but did not want to comment. He said: “I said my piece at our December meeting so there is nothing further I want to say for the moment.”