Light 'em up! Funding agreed for Christmas decorations

CHRISTMAS is not cancelled in Darlington this year, after Darlington Borough Council announced it will provide festive lights in the town centre.

In the weeks leading up to Christmas, the town centre will be transformed into a wintery wonderland, as it has been in previous years.

The Council has found itself in a position to be able to light up the town centre this Christmas, despite an agreement following earlier budget discussions that funding would be withdrawn.

A switch-on event will be held in the Market Square on Thursday, 23 November, in partnership with sponsors TFM and Feethams Leisure. Full details will be announced nearer the time. The council will also work with the new market operator to light up the Covered Market.

Earlier this year, businesses in the town centre voted not to extend the tenure of business improvement district (BID) company, Distinct Darlington.

During the life of the BID, town centre businesses, including those owned and operated by the Council, such as the Dolphin Centre, paid an annual levy to fund Distinct Darlington’s services, such as the Town Centre Rangers and events such as Darlington by the Sea.

Funding previously set aside to pay the levy from Council-owned businesses was freed up by the decision not to renew the BID. It is this money that will be used to pay for the Christmas lights this year.

Councillor Bill Dixon, Leader of Darlington Borough Council, said: “I’m delighted and relieved that we’ve been able to secure funding for the Christmas lights this year. To have had our town centre without lights in the run-up to Christmas would have sent out totally the wrong message. Not only have we secured lights for this year, we are also actively looking to find a way to retain Christmas lights in future years.

“Despite the painful decisions we have had to make as a Council in recent years, our town centre remains vibrant, bustling and on the up. I’m looking forward to the big switch-on and I hope as many people as possible will join us in marking the start of the countdown to Christmas.”