FORDINGBRIDGE Town Council has responded to concerns raised over the amount of money that will be paid out for Christmas lights.

Councillor Anna Wilson, who is also deputy mayor, speaking at a meeting of the council’s finance and policy committee last week said there had been a lot of talk on Facebook over the money being spent on Christmas lights.

A new contract has been agreed for Christmas lights in Fordingbridge by the town council with Sparkx.

A meeting on August 5, heard a new contract had been agreed and that the council would be proceeding with the tender submitted by Sparks.

The cost was £16,500 plus VAT, which included the leasing of the new lights.

Cllr Wilson added: “If you read the minutes there it doesn’t tell you what we actually paid annually anyway. I think that is what people are curious about - what did we use to pay.”

Committee chairman, Councillor Malcolm Adams said: “We need to say it is comparably to what we paid in other years.”

He added: “It costs an awful lot more than you anticipate.”

A member of the public asked what had happened to the old Christmas lights and why new ones were needed.

Town clerk Paul Goddard said last year the council were told by the contractor there was “no longevity” of the old lights.

He said the new contractor could offer a new set of lights on a lease and on “pretty much the same budget” paid last year, adding: “There is no additional cost in terms of our budgeted cost for those new lights.”

Councillor Malcolm Adams said the contractor was responsible for repairing the lights free of charge so there would be no additional cost to the council.

The meeting heard with the older lights there was a “growing repair costs” in terms of the preparation for putting them up and dealing with any issues when they were hanging.

There was also an option to purchase the lights once the contract finished or enter into another three year lease agreement with a new set of lights.