Medway Council decides to cancel Christmas lights celebration

Medway Council in Kent has announced that it will not be putting up any Christmas lights in 2023 due to financial constraints. The council, which recently experienced a change in leadership from Conservative to Labour, made this decision amidst the discovery of a potential overspend of £17 million for the current financial year. By cancelling the Christmas lights, the council expects to save £75,000. Council leader Vince Maple expressed his regret in making this difficult choice, but stressed that it was necessary in order to minimize the potential overspend and ensure the provision of essential services as required by law. Despite the cancellation of the Christmas lights, Maple noted that local ward councillors would still fund a Christmas tree in each town. Additionally, Medway Council intends to collaborate closely with town centre businesses to explore alternative ways to support them during the festive season. However, traditional events such as the Rochester Dickensian Christmas Festival and a Christmas market in Rochester Castle Gardens will proceed as planned. These events typically attract tens of thousands of visitors to the Medway towns every December.