Wellington Town Council is to form a working party to look in detail at the future of the Christmas lights display in the town.

Minor criticism has been made of the festive displays in relation to timers and light fittings, and about £25,000 is spent on putting the lights up and taking them down each year, which has raised eyebrows among councillors.

Now the council is to look closely at what it does in future with the lights.

Cllr Andy Govier said: “The lights are really good. There were a few teething problems but I don’t think there have been many negative points raised about them.

“We need a working party to look at the costs of putting the lights up and we need to look at getting good value for money.”

Cllr Govier suggested perhaps keeping the lights up on the Iron Duke pub throughout the year to save costs on installing them and taking them down.

“The lights could then be switched on for other events in the town like Carnival,” he suggested.

Cllr Mark Lithgow said: “It’s not a perfect world but if it was the lights would do everything we wanted them to do.

“I have been to other towns and looked at their Christmas lights and I wonder why they have actually bothered – sometimes you actually wonder if they know it is Christmas.

“We aren’t trying to win awards for our lights or be like Oxford Street in London.”

Cllr Marcus Barr said: “We should put the lights on on the last Saturday of November.”

He suggested that organisers look at doing something different with the displays in 2020 as the lights have been the same in recent years.

“I would like to see something different and hear people say ‘wow’ when they see the lights,” he said. “We’ve got used to what we are seeing now and we need some new designs.”

Cllr Nancy Powell-Brace agreed that the displays should be changed for 2020.

Cllr Sean Pringle-Kosikowsky said: “I’m glad that everyone [councillors] wants the lights. I was worried that some were going to say they didn’t want the Christmas lights.”

It was also suggested that the Christmas lights displays should also include Rockwell Green.

Councillors were told the costs in putting the lights up were ‘significant’.

A report said: “Somerset West and Taunton Council is contracted to collect the lights, put them up, set up the electrical timers and then take down the lights after Christmas.

“Costs are significant as a cherry-picker is required for putting up the lights and a significant number of staff hours are required.”

STEVE SOWDEN