Derby's Christmas lights and decorations have cost £102,000 but are they worth it?

It has been revealed that this year's Christmas decorations in Derby city centre have cost the council £102,000 - exactly the same as Christmas 2023. But are they value for money and does Derby spend more or less on brightening the city's streets during the festive season than other places?

Studying the annual spend of cities and towns on their festive decorations and lights, Manchester remains one of the big spenders annually with a predicted outlay of around £250,313 for 2024 - with a population of 470,411 that equates to an average spend per 1,000 people of £521.64.

Leeds is also seen as a big spender with a predicted 2024 outlay of £129,000 for a population of 536,321 which is £398.19 per 1,000 people.

At the other end of the scale, St Alban's appears to spend least with a predicted spend of £18,000 for a population of 75,537, which equates to an average spend per 1,000 people of £197.68, according to Gardening Express, which has obtained the data from councils across the country.

Derbyshire Live asked the city council directly what it had spent on decorations for this year and by dividing the population of Derby, which is around 275,000, the average spend per 1,000 people is £369.58. So it is not the highest, nor the lowest but does the cost reflect the outcome?

The lights were switched on in the city centre on November 30 and, since then, thousands of people will have seen them lit. They include the UK's largest light-up Santa, a tree and the large illuminated Christmas presents that then then Conservative-run city council purchased in 2019 and were criticised by the Labour group as "embarrassing".

Skaters took to the ice as the Cathedral Quarter Ice Rink opened for the first time, enjoyed a festive tipple in the Nordic Bar and took in the new Festive Derby Light Trail, which features several stunning light installations through the city centre from The Spot all the way to Cathedral Square. The switch-on was attended by about 3,500 people and they were joined by the stars of this year's pantomime, Cinderella.

A leading Derby city councillor has said that little thought has been put into making Derby's Christmas decorations and lights more attractive to visitors and increasing footfall in the city. Councillor Steve Hassall said: "I would say the justification or success of the spend can only measured in terms of the opinion of residents and visitors and if there has been an increase in footfall as a result of the outlay.

"It’s clear that the council has failed on all of these measures and in the context of reducing parking provision being compounded by lack of shopping offer, it’s been a dismal attempt to inject any sort of energy or thought into Derby's festivities.

"It’s pretty clear that the offer isn’t great and the public reaction has been cool to say the least. The UK's largest light up Santa is underwhelming and frankly looks like someone has purchased this from Wish or from the back of a lorry, unlit it looks tatty.

"We should be seeing a Christmas market in and around the Market Place providing opportunity for good, local independent businesses to make the most of the festive period and actually give a reason for people to come and shop here in Derby."

Visitors to the Market Place have mixed views about the festive displays. Emily Crosbie, of Littleover, said: "I think they are probably brighter and better than in previous years. I quite like the Santa but think he is in the wrong place and should be more visible."

Another visitor, Corey Stevenson, of Alvaston, said: "I don't think it's right for the council to spend so much on lights when people are struggling to make ends meet. I would sooner see the money spent on something more useful." And Jackie Arnold, from Long Eaton added: "I went to see Nottingham's Winter Wonderland and Derby could do with something a bit more like that. It certainly needs a market, which shouldn't cost money if people pay for the pitches."

A spokesman for Derby City Council said: "The spend for this year’s Christmas decorations is £102,000. The figure for last year’s Christmas decorations was also £102,000. This year’s Christmas decorations have been made possible through our partnership with the St Peters Street and Cathedral Quarter BIDs and sponsorship. The UK’s largest Santa has generously been sponsored by Tomato Energy."

After the switch-on event, council leader Councillor Nadine Peatfield said: "I’d like to say a huge thank you to all our partners and sponsors across the city. Together we’ve delivered another fantastic festive Derby, showcasing the richness and diversity of our city.

“The icing on the cake is the amazing feedback and happy faces. So many people have commented that this is the best Christmas we’ve delivered in years."

What do you think Derby's festive decorations? Have your say in the comments