Whitnash mayor says Christmas lights event could be cancelled without new support

Whitnash Mayor Cllr Simon Button is warning residents that this year’s Christmas lights switch-on event in the town could be cancelled somebody does not take up the reins to organise it.

Unlike the other three towns in Warwick district – Leamington, Warwick and Kenilworth - that have their lights events run by Warwick District Council’s (WDC) events team, Whitnash Town Council has always run its own event with a donation of about £2,500 from WDC.

Cllr Button says that after leading the team of volunteers which ran the annual event in the town for 16 years, he is no longer physically or mentally able to cope with the pressure of it anymore and is appealing for others, including Warwick District Council, to take charge.

He said: “My wife has said it adds to both our stress levels and I have to give up.

"WDC keeps moving the goalposts with red tape and bureaucracy making it even more difficult for me to do now.

"I have asked WDC if its events team can run the event but so far it has said this is not possible.

"It’s like a dagger to the heart, it;s such a massive event for the town.”

Cllr Button is appealing for townspeople and businesses to continue to show their support to the event, which normally takes place around the Plough and Harrow Pub in early December, in the hope it can still continue.

Cllr Button said: “I have a trailer full of equipment which can be used and the pub and businesses in the town have always been very helpful so if anybody else can step in in my place then there’s a lot there already for them.”

Warwick District Council says its events team will meet with Whitnash town councillors to discuss the matter further.

A WDC spokeswoman said: “Warwick District Council’s events team is fully committed to supporting a full and varied public events programme across the district’s towns, villages and parks, with more than 157 taking place in 2023.

“In an increasingly regulatory environment, the events team has made every effort to make the process of organising events as streamlined as possible, however with rules and procedures often changing, we appreciate that this can sometimes be challenging.

"The team has produced a comprehensive events manual to assist organisers with their plans.

“With a large programme of events across the district in 2024, the Events Team is unfortunately unlikely to have any capacity to take on the direct running of further events.

"The team is nevertheless happy to work with Whitnash Town Council to support the event as they have done for many years.

"They therefore very much hope that the town council will accept their offer of a meeting in the near future.”