Cash-strapped council cancels Christmas lights as it faces bankruptcy
A cash-strapped council has cancelled its Christmas lights in a battle against bankruptcy.
Medway Council in Kent announced on Monday that there will be no lights or switch-on events in five of its towns.
The decision comes just weeks after a financial report warned it is "very likely" the council will face bankruptcy.
It said the move to call off Christmas in Gillingham, Rochester, Strood, Rainham and Chatham will save the council £75,000.
The council said it was trying to reduce a potential overspend of £17m for this financial year.
It switched from being a Conservative-controlled council to a Labour one after elections in May.
'Tough decisions'
Medway Council leader, Vince Maple, said: “Unfortunately, due to the challenging financial situation the council is in, we have had to make the sad and difficult decision to not have Christmas lights across Medway this year.
"This means there will sadly be no switch-on events held in the town centres this year.
“I know how disappointing this will be for many families, residents and businesses, including myself who enjoyed attending the event with my family, but the reality of the situation is that we unfortunately have no choice but to make these tough decisions."
He said the council's revenue support grant from the government had been cut by 91% since 2010.
"We are left with no choice but to make these incredibly difficult decisions as a cabinet, and with our council colleagues and partners, to reduce the potential overspend and to ensure we can continue to provide essential services that we are required to provide by law, such as social care, waste collections and housing."
Maple said funding will still be available for a Christmas tree in each town, while the Christmas parade in Chatham will go ahead on 18 November.
Events such as the Rochester Christmas Market, the Children’s Christmas village at Rochester Castle and the Dickensian Christmas Festival will also take place as planned across three weekends in the run-up to Christmas.
The council announced its decision to cancel Christmas lights on X, formerly known as Twitter.
NEWS: Unfortunately we have had to make the difficult decision to not have Christmas lights across Medway or hold switch-on events this year. With the ongoing financial situation we need to make tough decisions & this will save £75,000. Find out more: https://t.co/DWa84rgv5i
— Medway Council (@medway_council) October 9, 2023
One user responded: "Christmas is an often stressful and difficult time for many people and some Xmas cheer or simply marvelling at a nice tree and lights brings a bit of comfort to many.
"Way to suck the joy out of the festive season, Ebenezer Medway."
Another commented: "Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. Won’t be the last difficult and unpopular decision you will have to make.
"Perhaps if the retailers in the towns (the larger ones) dipped into their corporate pockets to help out you wouldn’t need to do it, eh?"
But one user welcomed the decision, saying: "Good move. All the shops already have Christmas items in stock and I’m sure the little ones will have decorations at their school."
Last month, a financial report revealed it is "very likely" that Medway Council will face bankruptcy, after it predicted a £38m budget gap in 2024/25 on top of the £17m it has to find this financial year.
However, Maple maintained that bankruptcy was "not an inevitability".
Earlier in September, it was revealed that Medway had spent £190,000 on a failed bid to be the UK's City of Culture.
Councils battling against bankruptcy
Councils across the UK are struggling to find the money to keep carrying out daily services.
Birmingham City Council effectively declared itself bankrupt last month as it faces £760m of liabilities for equal pay claims, a £100m bill for IT issues and predicted budget deficit of £87m this financial year.
A number of other councils have gone bankrupt in recent years, including Croydon, Woking and Slough.
A survey published in August forecast that at least 26 councils in England are at risk of bankruptcy within the next two years.
