Scarborough's Christmas lights 'will not be scaled back or cancelled' due to rising energy cost concerns – council confirms

Scarborough Council said it does not plan on making cutbacks to its Christmas lighting scheme after other authorities recently announced they will be forced to scale down.

The borough council said it will be using “some of the most economical LEDs on the market” in order to reduce costs, in addition to the scheme being more “compact” than in other towns and cities.

Councils across the UK, including in Yorkshire, have said that they will be cancelling bonfires, fireworks, Christmas markets and lights.

The cutbacks have been announced due to rising costs and a need to prioritise funding for other council services.

Leeds Council said it will be cancelling its Christmas market as well as bonfire and firework festivities owing to “significant budget pressures”.

A Scarborough Council spokesperson said: “We will not be scaling back our Christmas lighting scheme.

“All the lighting in this year’s scheme will be LED and some of the most economical LEDs on the market. This will enable us to keep running costs as low as possible.”

Rising energy costs have seriously affected the finances of many households, businesses, and public sector organisations.

Speaking at a council meeting in September, Cllr Janet Jefferson, cabinet member for corporate resources, said that in addition to providing support to residents, Scarborough Council would also be forced to examine its expenditure on energy bills.

“We have to look at it seriously and [see] whether we can heat all the rooms and how we are going to do it through winter,” she said.

The Ofgem energy price cap increased on October 1 to £3,549 per year for dual fuel for an average household.

However, as the scheme sets a cap on the unit cost of electricity and gas, energy bills may be higher than the Ofgem average depending on use.

From October, millions of households across the country will receive a £400 non-repayable discount on their energy bills and a £150 Warm Homes Discount will also begin to be paid to three million low-income households.