Who pays for the Christmas lights in your area?

BCP Council said it would stop funding Christmas lights in 2023

It is the time of year when many towns and cities will be marking the festive season with a Christmas light switch on, but how are they funded?

Many areas across the south have a Business Improvement District (BID) that raises a levy to help improve town and city centres.

Those in Southampton, Winchester, Reading and now Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) either fully or partly pay for the area's festive lights, which means the cost does not fall on the taxpayer.

Portsmouth City Council funds its own, which were purchased in 2019 and then upgraded last year.

In 2023, BCP Council said it would stop the funding for Christmas lights because it was facing a budget shortfall of £44m.

The Coastal BID and Town Centre BID said they would "step in" and provide lights in the town centre.

This year they, along with the operators Seventa Events and SKATE Bournemouth, are funding the Christmas in Bournemouth project, which is replacing Christmas Tree Wonderland.

Portsmouth City Council fully funds its own Christmas lights, whereas Winchester City Council covers 23% of the cost.

Winchester's BID has organised the lights since 2008 and funds a further 65%. The remainder is funded through sponsorship.

In 2023, £120,000 was spent on replacing 130 lights, as well as 179 plugs, across the city.

The laser show will be projected daily onto Southampton's Bargate

About 80,000 LED lights are installed across Reading every year for the festive period.

The town's BID has been providing the Christmas lights for more than 12 years.

"With more online shopping, the impact of austerity and sales down nationally, it is vital that Reading looks its best for Christmas," a statement said.

"The lights alone equate to an investment in Reading of £600,000 over the five years of this current BID (2024-29)."

In Southampton city centre the responsibility of the lights is shared between the BID and the Christmas market owners, S&D Leisure.

A spokesperson from the BID said: "The Christmas Market organisers, provide lighting in the areas that the market covers.

"This includes Bargate, Bargate Street, Above Bar Street and Guildhall Square.

"GO! Southampton provide lighting in some of the key areas that aren't covered by the market. This includes High Street, East Street, Oxford Street, Bedford Place and Carlton Place."