Councillors call for clarity over festive decorations on new lamp posts
Fresh concerns have been raised over Fife communities missing out on festive decorations on street lights.
The issue comes after the installation of new lamp posts in many towns which are more limited in what can be hung on them.
Claims the local authority was being a Scrooge surfaced at the end of last year when Thornton pupils’ winning designs could not be displayed - and some communities were told they couldn’t put up their traditional decorations.
That was denied by the Labour administration, but this week the issue resurfaced over what was said to community groups in a briefing note about plans for Christmas 2026.
Councillor Lynda Holton (Glenrothes Central and Thornton, SNP) raised the issue following an update to elected members and community groups.
She was concerned at the timescales to determine the fixings and weights on the new lamp posts, which is underway, and to be concluded by late summer.
“Given orders for festive lights, and bespoke decorations, have to be placed by mid summer to be installed time for Christmas, this does not leave enough time for community groups to plan ahead,” she said.
She some some groups were told to remove existing decorations within four weeks, and no more would be put up.
“For councillors to learn second-hand that some communities have been issued with a four-week deadline to remove their existing decorations, with no help from Fife Council, is unacceptable. Councillors were provided with a briefing on the issue two days after this directive, which contained no mention of it - leaving us in the dark.”
She described the messaging as “confusing.”
The new environmentally-friendly LED lights are more lightweight, and not able to withstand other items such as CCTV or festive decorations.
Councillor Altany Craik, spokesperson for finance, economy and strategic planning, previously explained the lighting columns “have limited capacity for additional attachments” - and their lifespan is severely reduced if overloaded.
In December, he said roads and transportation service was in the process of assessing the network across Fife and would work with communities to find a way to best accommodate local needs while avoiding damage to the lighting columns.