Calls for better Christmas decorations in Benfleet town centre (From Echo)
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Calls for better Christmas decorations in Benfleet town centre
3:00pm Sunday 9th December 2012 in News
Where are our lights? - Bob Prince in High Road, Benfleet
COUNCIL bosses have been labelled “scrooges” after Benfleet town centre was left off the Christmas decorations list for another year.
Calls have been made to install Christmas lights along Benfleet High Road to help bring more festive cheer to the town.
Frustrated residents have been campaigning for better decorations to be placed in the town’s busiest shopping parade for years, claiming the area should have its own annual light switch on like Canvey and Hadleigh.
However, for another year the shopping street has been left out.
Bob Prince, 63, of Clifton Avenue, Benfleet, said: “The High Road has the most shops that anywhere else in Benfleet and yet its without Christmas lights yet again. We were told they’d be put up once new lamp posts were put in. Well the lamp posts are in and where are our lights?
“I think it is deplorable especially when the other big towns in the borough have their own lights and events.”
Castle Point Council installed seven Christmas trees across the borough earlier this week in a bid to decorate the borough ahead of the holiday season.
Benfleet residents were dismayed as the High Road did not receive one.
John Rogers, of Oak Field Road, Benfleet, said: “I have to say in fairness to the council the trees do look really nice, and in their defence the High Road is such a long road it would be difficult to find the right place to put one here.
“But it would have been so nice to have our own tree especially as the decorations that have been put up in the past have been so abysmal. Right on the junction with Kents Hill Road, near where the library and school are would make a lovely place as it gets so busy along there.”
A council spokesperson said: “This year Castle Point Council has come up with an alternative using Christmas trees and festive lights at various places across the Borough instead of the lights on lamp columns.
“We took this action to avoid the difficulties of the last few years where Essex County Council’s lighting columns have failed structural testing we were unable to use them for festive illuminations and came under criticism for poor displays.
“Benfleet has its own Christmas trees just like Canvey, Hadleigh and Thundersley. There is one at Tarpots and one at the junction of School Lane and Essex Way as there is no suitable location in the High Road for placement of a tree.
“Local businesses were asked if they would like to sponsor trees however the uptake was not very high with just a handful taking up the offer.
“We have had calls from residents and businesses who are very pleased with the new illuminated trees many saying they are an improvement over our usual display.”
Comments(15)
bumper
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3:16pm Sun 9 Dec 12
bumper
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3:17pm Sun 9 Dec 12
Eric Whim
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3:18pm Sun 9 Dec 12
Audioman
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3:53pm Sun 9 Dec 12
Brunning999
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4:09pm Sun 9 Dec 12
Eric Whim
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4:29pm Sun 9 Dec 12
Audioman wrote:mince pies and winter warmer ale all round....
The counciol does NOT have the money for Christmas Lights.I bet that thay well all have a nice Christmas Bonus like in other years,and a good mael on the Council.
benfleet101
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10:55pm Sun 9 Dec 12
Dingo
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9:10am Mon 10 Dec 12
Dingo
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9:10am Mon 10 Dec 12
benfleet 20
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10:31am Mon 10 Dec 12
benfleet101 wrote:Well done Leigh,This would be lovely if the shops in Benfleet did this they would definitely see their revenue increase. We have just returned from visiting family at Market Harborough as we have done for the last 7 years for our family get together, they have late night shopping around the 7th December every year, it is lovely. There are various stalls, i.e.craft stalls, hot chestnuts, local pork roasted on a spit, mince pies, mulled wine etc reindeer, Father Christmas in his sleigh, Morris dancers, rides and local radio. Now we are back in miserable Benfleet, how sad for us residents living here to hear that Canvey, Hadleigh & Rayleigh are having their lights switched on with all the" fun of the fair" going on and we have a tree at the Tarpots. I know there isn't a lot to smile about at the moment but come on castle point give us a bit of cheer, the High Road looks so miserable, there is no Christmas spirit there at all, apart from a few of the shops with some decorations. All I can say is Ba Humbug. It's a bit like the street cleaning isn't it clean, where you can see but don't worry about the side streets.
Why not do what we shops in Leigh do? We all contribute (voluntarily) to the Christmas lights and the switch on is a huge event. There is a parade, stalls and rides, thousands of families turn out, all the shops decorate their windows and stay open offering mince pies, hot chocolate etc.
Benfleet 20
Curbishly
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1:01pm Mon 10 Dec 12
benfleet101 wrote:Ben101...Exactly right.
Why not do what we shops in Leigh do? We all contribute (voluntarily) to the Christmas lights and the switch on is a huge event. There is a parade, stalls and rides, thousands of families turn out, all the shops decorate their windows and stay open offering mince pies, hot chocolate etc.
It's fascinating to see those people who seem to regard the Council as a benevolent nanny who should sponsor any and all wild hare-brained projects.
If you want Christmas lights in Benfleet then get off your backside and organise it, don't expect the council to do it for you it's not their job.
Moomoo2
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9:11pm Wed 12 Dec 12
Us shopkeepers work very hard to keep our businesses running in a very hard economic time. We pay our business rates and I am reading that they can't part with a little money to make our high street more festive.
I would also like to add that in my 13 years of trading Hadleigh, Leigh, Canvey, Thundersley and on two occasions Tarpots have all had huge improvements to their walk ways. Benflleet High Road have had NOTHING. We keep our shops well presented, yes part of our shop fronts are privately owned but what is stopping the part the council owns from being well maintained like every other local shopping area, we work hard to keep our local community running, why can't the council put in just a little effort to meet us half way??
Moomoo2
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10:23pm Thu 13 Dec 12
Moomoo2
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10:26pm Thu 13 Dec 12
GentleGiant says...
3:07pm Sun 9 Dec 12