FOI request (FOIR-459764848)

Christmas Lights

Requested Wed 19 October 2022
Responded  Fri 18 November 2022

I would like to request, under the Freedom of Information Act, the following information for Hastings Borough Council.

Please provide data showing:

1. As separate figures, the anticipated cost of Christmas lights, Christmas trees and other Christmas decorations for the Christmas period starting this year.

2. Please also provide the actual cost of Christmas lights, trees and other decorations for each annual Christmas period from 2018 up until the most recent date available.

3. Anticipated energy consumption for Christmas lights for the Christmas period starting this year, as well as actual consumption for each Christmas period from 2018 up until the most recent date available.

4. The daily schedule for Christmas light activity, for this Christmas period and for each annual Christmas period from 2018 up until the most recent date available.

5. Will you, or have you, cancelled any switch-on events this year? If yes, please provide the reason for cancellation.

Please provide such data electronically, ideally as a spreadsheet.

Response

Q1. Budgets for 2022-23 are £11,500 for lighting and £4,240 for trees

£9,873 out of the lighting budget of £11,500 is distributed each year as a grant to other organisations in the town to provide Christmas decorations and lighting for the following areas:

Town Centre (Love Hastings)

Central St Leonards (St Leonards Town Team)

Old Town (Old Town Traders)

Q2.

Lighting costs:

2018-19 - £11,506.02

2019-20 - £11,248.80

2020-21 - £11,794.89

2021-22 - £11,328.00

Christmas Trees:

2018-19 - £5,728.67

2019-20 - £5,951.60

2020-21 - £5,370.00

2021-22 - £9,169.92

Q3.

Energy Consumption for this year - Town Centre tree lights 1042 kWh. Other Council Christmas trees have a metered supply or another organisation arranges electricity supply for the lighting.

Energy Consumption for 2018/19 - Town Centre tree lights 532 kWh. Other Council Christmas trees have a metered supply or another organisation arranges electricity supply for the lighting.

Energy Consumption for 2019/20 - Town Centre tree lights 656 kWh. Other Council Christmas trees have a metered supply or another organisation arranges electricity supply for the lighting.

Energy Consumption for 2020/21 - Town Centre tree lights 532 kWh. Other Council Christmas trees have a metered supply or another organisation arranges electricity supply for the lighting.

Energy Consumption for 2021/22 - Town Centre tree lights 1042 kWh. Other Council Christmas trees have a metered supply or another organisation arranges electricity supply for the lighting.

Electricity supply for all other decorations and lights are arranged by other organisations.

Q4.

For all the requested years, Christmas tree lights switch on at 3.30pm and switch off at midnight from mid-November to the 1st week of January.

Other organisations arrange their own switch on and off times.

Q5.

No formal switch-on event is planned this year, and such events have not happened since COVID-19.