Tesco accused of hampering council's Christmas plans

Ferndown Town Council said it was unable to get the permission it needed to put up lights in Penny's Walk

Tesco has been accused of hampering a town council's plans for "more ambitious" Christmas decorations this year after the council could not get permission from the supermarket for the access it needed to install them.

Ferndown Town Council said despite its "best efforts" it will be unable to use vehicles in Penny's Walk to put them up.

It means the council will only be able to use decorations that can be put up with a ladder which it said was "particularly disappointing" as at other times Tesco's contractors were not limited in the same way.

Tesco said it was sorry it could not reach an agreement with the council and it continued to explore other options for lights in the area.

The town council said charges the supermarket required for legal fees and a weight-bearing assessment would have made up a "significant portion" of its Christmas decorations budget.

"It is important to note that Ferndown Town Council funds the Christmas lights in full and has not requested any financial contribution from Tesco, which makes this decision all the more disheartening," it added.

The council said the decision had not been "taken at branch level" and that local Tesco staff "will be just as disappointed as our residents to see the impact it has had on our festive plans".

The site's owner, Torbay Council, did not take any part of the decision, it said.

A spokesperson for Tesco said: "We are always happy to work with the community on local events and we are sorry that we have been unable to reach agreement with Ferndown Town Council to facilitate their installation of festive lights."

The council said it remained committed to ensuring Christmas in the area was as bright, festive, and welcoming as possible within the circumstances and they thanked everyone for their continued support and understanding.