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22
Oct 2020
Last Updated: 22/10/2020
Date set for Ripon lights switch-on
In a year of lockdown and losses for retailers, Ripon councillors hope the lights will provide a festive boost to trade. The city council is spending £65,000 extra on the lights this year.
Ripon's largest-ever display of Christmas lights and decorations will be turned on on the evening of Saturday November 14.
Ripon City Council agreed to the switch-on arrangements this week after an update from council leader Andrew Williams.
Cllr Williams said North Yorkshire County Council had carried out the necessary adjustments to street lighting around the city to accommodate three miles of decorations.
This will take in Ripon's main retail core and extend as far north as the Victoria clock tower on North Street - a principal route into Ripon.
Cllr Williams, told the Stray Ferret:
"For the benefit of traders and residents, we would like to have the extended display turned on as soon as possible after Remembrance Sunday (November 8).
"This will give time for the superb displays put in place by the Ripon Community Poppy Project to be taken down."
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The council has approved £65,000 of additional spending on the Christmas decorations.
The major extension, which now takes in side streets including Allhallowgate, Bedern Bank and Skellbank, ensures lights are in place on all gateways into the city centre, while also providing a circuit around a mixture of retail and residential streets.
Funding for the scheme is coming from the council’s events budget, which had originally been intended to support a programme of community events throughout the year in Ripon.
These included the 75th anniversary celebrations for VE and VJ Day, and the St Wilfrid’s Day procession, that had to be either cancelled or scaled back because of the coronavirus crisis and social distancing restrictions.
Councillors, who unanimously supported the switch on plans, hope that the extended lights will provide an end of year boost for retailers, by attracting greater footfall.
The Mayor of Ripon, councillor Eamon Parkin, said:
"The covid pandemic has made this a very gloomy year for many people and we hope that the lights display will give everybody a lift by adding to the attraction of the city over the festive period."
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