Just three fake Christmas trees for town centre
Fake Christmas trees will form the centrepiece of Northampton town centre's festive decorations this year.
The town's decorations faced national criticism last year after they were scaled back to include just a smattering of lights and five fir trees.
Following further changes this year, the decorations will now be made up of only three imitation trees made of aluminium and nylon, together with strips of lights wound around lamp posts.
The plans, put together by Northampton Borough Council and the Northampton Town Centre Partnership, have already been described as 'Scrooge-like' and a 'kick in the teeth' for the town's traders.
Former MP and current borough councillor, Tony Clarke (Ind, Castle) said: "It's ridiculous. It just seems like the leaders of the council are Scrooges sitting in the Guildhall counting the money from their ludicrously high pay rises while throwing the town's Christmas streets into darkness."
His view was backed by the leader of the opposition at the Guildhall, Councillor Tim Hadland (Con, Weston), who warned that poor Christmas lights could damage town centre trade.
He said: "This Scrooge-like Christmas is a kick in the teeth for local businesses who need all the help they can get in the present economic conditions."
Lights which previously hung across the town's streets have also been scrapped because of the expense of hanging them up and health and safety fears about them falling on people.
In their place, strips of lights will be wrapped around 27 lampposts in the town and hung in trees.
The vice chairman of the town centre partnership, Sheridan New, admitted people may not like the new decorations at first.
He said: "It's going to be different, but once people accept they're different, I think they'll get used to it."
The council's cabinet member for the town centre, Councillor Brendan Glynane (Lib Dem, Delapre) agreed people would grow to like the fake trees, which are designed to last up to 15 years.
He said: "For years Northampton has used the same decorations and quite frankly they were looking tired.
"Every year it got more expensive to repair and maintain the old lights."
The new look-decorations will be unveiled at the Christmas shopping parade at 4pm on Saturday.
But it is thought the new trees will not have been delivered
in time for the launch event.
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Weather for Northampton
Saturday 04 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -1 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: -1 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
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