A small band of volunteers who help set up the Christmas lights in Largs say they now have to find £6,000 to help pay for their installation.
An emergency plan is underway in order to get the lights up and running for this year after North Ayrshire Council removed the finance for installing Christmas illuminations during their 2024 budget meeting.
This decision has left every town in North Ayrshire responsible for finding their own finance for the installation of their Christmas Lights, pay for electricity, stress testing of lamp posts, testing, insurance and any other related expenses.
The Largs Events group say that this has left them in a difficult position.
The committee has been left to decide whether they can finance the installation and find a contractor at short notice that could carry out the installation.
Largs Events and representatives of other North Ayrshire towns recently attended a meeting with North Ayrshire Council to discuss the options for installing the Christmas 2024 illuminations.
The group says there is not enough time left to tender for a commercial installer for this year’s lights.
However, the council already have the capability and experience to install the illuminations and have provided a cost of around £6,000 to install Largs illuminations.
Largs Events have discussed this cost and agree that it is the best option to enable the 2024 Christmas illuminations to be installed.
Largs Events were awarded £10,000 earlier this year to buy new illuminations for Largs and the uncertainty around installation has postponed the purchase of new lights. This donation from the Colin Weir Trust will be protected and only used to purchase new lights.
Chairman of Largs Events Ian Murdoch said: "We are now exploring the best options to combine the installation and procurement of new lights as considerations have to be made around the type of lights, size, weight, connections and efficiency. All brackets and street furniture have to be stress tested before installation.
"We are currently discussing how to pay around £6,000 for the installation of new lights and up to £4,000 to provide Yuletide Night in future years.
"We have applied to the Largs seafront car park fund for the installation costs of the Christmas illuminations.
"Largs Events are a small committee of local volunteers that have provided a variety of events over the years.
"However, it is becoming increasingly difficult to do so within the budget cuts and overall financial challenges."
A North Ayrshire Council spokesperson said: “Like councils across Scotland and the rest of the UK, we face a challenging financial climate. At our budget-setting meeting on February 28, it was agreed to cease providing a budget for the installation of festive lights.
“In respect of support to groups, we have been in contact with community groups to explain that there may be a number of potential grant funding options open to them. “Neighbourhood Services will continue to provide storage for the lights.
“Capacity-building support for the groups, including advice on potential funding, is available through our Connected Communities service and support through the events process will also continue as usual.
“Community groups can find out more about funding here and our Building Services team will work with community groups to assist them where possible.”
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