'Vandalism' claim over Douglas promenade festoon lights removal

The lights have illuminated Douglas seafront since the 1940s

A council plan to remove festoon lighting from Douglas promenade amounts to "vandalism", the campaigner behind a petition against it has said.

Adam Keay, whose petition has received more than 900 signatures, said the lights were an "iconic feature", which should not be removed as part of the wider refurbishment of the area.

Councillors backed a £830,000 scheme to install LED lights in the area in 2019.

Douglas Council's leader said it was "too late in the day to change it".

David Christian added that the changes, which are part of a Douglas-wide initiative to move to LED public lighting, had originally been agreed by the council "over three years ago".

The strands of lights are being removed as the existing lampposts are replaced

The promenade's lampposts are being replaced to coincide with the government's £26m refurbishment of the area to avoid future disruption and the strands of fairy lights between them, which have been in place since the 1940s, will not be put back.

Mr Keay said those lights were "part of the magic" of the town and councillors who backed the scheme were "vandalising Douglas by getting rid of them".

Mr Christian said the overall project would lead to an annual saving of about £150,000 in energy and maintenance costs across the borough.

He said the new lights feature a "decorative" backlight and finial that can be lit up in different colours, which will create a "swathe of colour" along the promenade, adding that the lights were "now going up".

"I appreciate people's opinions on it, but I have to say it's something that will not be revisited, because simply it is too late in the day."