Bridgwater WILL have Christmas lights after Taunton shock (From This is The West Country)

Taunton gets the Shops and Bridgwater gets the lights says it all really! Maybe Bridgwater people would like more shops in the town center and less Xmas decorations that is the question to ask? Tax payers money yes so why put the lights up so early, what is wrong with 5-10 days before Xmas not over a month to go, that is a waste of Tax Payers money. Not a bah humbug but since when did Xmas begin in November!

Stuff the lights, we don't need them they just waste electricity.

Really going to cheer people up seeing the nice lights as they walk past the vacant shops. Is the old Argos store still vacant? Seems like years ago they left there.

Never mind the lights - there won't be any electricity to power them once the coal-fired power stations shut down, the Hinkley C protesters/NIMBYs/wa
nt-to-live-in-the-co
ld-and-dark troglodytes have achieved their aim...

Hey-ho - Christmas has begun already! My local Co-op had stocks of long-life mince pies a month ago, and you only have to walk around your favourite supermarket in town to realise that they've moved everything around!

Where there were beans, there are now baubles; Quality Street instead of quick-soup; tinsel has ousted teabags...

Don't "flame" me (unlike your Xmas pud) - I'm only joking!

I couldn't find anything I wanted when I wandered around the slum.... sorry the town on Monday, half the shops were stuffed with christmas crap instead of what they normally sell.

What Taunton Shock?

http://www.somersetc
ountygazette.co.uk/n
ews/9977099.Taunton_
Christmas_lights_rec
eive___5k_boost/

Bet you won't report that though Mercury

Well said Mayor Granter......What is a bit of extra expense when it comes to Christmas? Everyone needs a break from the financial worries of the current climate, so if a few lights and decorations can pause reality for a few weeks, then I am all for it!!

I would rather have some money of my council tax than a few coloured lights.

Also, lets be honest, how many of us won't even go into the town centre at Xmas, what's the point as there's nothing there.
Taunton or Bristol will no doubt get most of the people of BW's money.

Boring wrote:
I would rather have some money of my council tax than a few coloured lights.

Also, lets be honest, how many of us won't even go into the town centre at Xmas, what's the point as there's nothing there.
Taunton or Bristol will no doubt get most of the people of BW's money.

Exactly how much money off your Council Tax would you expect to get if the lights were forfeited?

latitude wrote:

Boring wrote:
I would rather have some money of my council tax than a few coloured lights.

Also, lets be honest, how many of us won't even go into the town centre at Xmas, what's the point as there's nothing there.
Taunton or Bristol will no doubt get most of the people of BW's money.

Exactly how much money off your Council Tax would you expect to get if the lights were forfeited?

I personally would rather they reduced the rates for local business ie shops with the loss of the lights instead.

Lets be honest here, a bunch of lights isn't going to bring in a lot of extra revenue apart maybe from the switch on the light night. How many of us will shop in Taunton, Bristol, Online this Xmas, for real high street names then ask yourself what big names in the Town Center has Bridgwater got very little. We seem to have dozens of estate agents, cheap charity shops, mobile phones, rental shops for people who cannot get credit to buy TV's, Washing Machines etc. Instead of crap cheapo shops Buyology and the shop now in what was Woolsworths it would be far beter to build a town of well known eating places as that is all Bridgwater is these days, take aways.

Ask yourself where is the actual chain restaurants that other Towns have like TGI, Bella Pasta, Ask Italian,Strada, Frankie and Bennys etc, even Taunton hasn't got any of these and its meant to be the County Capital in Somerset. We have Prezzo that is it. There is a market for this in Bridgwater, whether its in the Town center or on a Business park just build it. Yeovil has more choice by far and its not a capital town. We are never going to get shopping sorted in this town so lets be known for better restaurant choice instead.

Some fair points Frags. Bridgwater has been caught in a vicious circle for a while, i.e. less shoppers = less shops = less shoppers and so on. The recession obviously hasn't helped, but that has had the same effect almost everywhere. The only hope we have is the influx of jobs created by the upcoming developments (Hinkley C, Mulberry etc.) and then the bigger names in shopping may begin to open stores in Bridgwater – but times have changed with people favouring out of town shopping, so the town centre may never recover; who knows?

There is something the residents of Bridgwater could do. Yes, many of us go to Street, Taunton, Bristol or Exeter for shopping trips because the choice is lacking in Bridgwater, but there are still many things that we buy elsewhere which are available in Bridgwater (and I don’t just mean mobile phones, coffee and second-hand items!). It would only take a bit of forethought and these goods could be purchased in Bridgwater instead. It would be a start to reversing the aforementioned vicious circle.

Back to the main topic though, my point was about the amount of money spent on Xmas lights; would people really prefer a rebate or reduction in rates of a few pence (that is all it would amount to per household) rather than have the lights up? I agree with Frags that the length of time they’re up for is ridiculous, but the people have come to expect Xmas to start in November…I put that mainly down to trends in commerce with shops putting up decorations far too early. Personally, I’m not all that fussed about whether we have lights or not, but for someone to suggest we should get a few pence knocked off our Council Tax is a joke!

latitude wrote:

Boring wrote:
I would rather have some money of my council tax than a few coloured lights.

Also, lets be honest, how many of us won't even go into the town centre at Xmas, what's the point as there's nothing there.
Taunton or Bristol will no doubt get most of the people of BW's money.

Exactly how much money off your Council Tax would you expect to get if the lights were forfeited?

£2.67

latitude wrote:
Some fair points Frags. Bridgwater has been caught in a vicious circle for a while, i.e. less shoppers = less shops = less shoppers and so on. The recession obviously hasn't helped, but that has had the same effect almost everywhere. The only hope we have is the influx of jobs created by the upcoming developments (Hinkley C, Mulberry etc.) and then the bigger names in shopping may begin to open stores in Bridgwater – but times have changed with people favouring out of town shopping, so the town centre may never recover; who knows?

There is something the residents of Bridgwater could do. Yes, many of us go to Street, Taunton, Bristol or Exeter for shopping trips because the choice is lacking in Bridgwater, but there are still many things that we buy elsewhere which are available in Bridgwater (and I don’t just mean mobile phones, coffee and second-hand items!). It would only take a bit of forethought and these goods could be purchased in Bridgwater instead. It would be a start to reversing the aforementioned vicious circle.

Back to the main topic though, my point was about the amount of money spent on Xmas lights; would people really prefer a rebate or reduction in rates of a few pence (that is all it would amount to per household) rather than have the lights up? I agree with Frags that the length of time they’re up for is ridiculous, but the people have come to expect Xmas to start in November…I put that mainly down to trends in commerce with shops putting up decorations far too early. Personally, I’m not all that fussed about whether we have lights or not, but for someone to suggest we should get a few pence knocked off our Council Tax is a joke!

Its no joke, it would probably pay for a couple trips to the tip.............
You dont want money back for no xmas lights, but i presume your happy to have less and less services to keep your council tax down?? i'm not.
Its exactly the same thing in my eyes.
if the council gives us even less of a service then give us some money back.

As far as im concerned ive paid up front for the expense of xmas lighting etc, if its not provided then give everyone back the money that is set aside for them. simple.

Boring wrote:

latitude wrote:

Boring wrote:
I would rather have some money of my council tax than a few coloured lights.

Also, lets be honest, how many of us won't even go into the town centre at Xmas, what's the point as there's nothing there.
Taunton or Bristol will no doubt get most of the people of BW's money.

Exactly how much money off your Council Tax would you expect to get if the lights were forfeited?

£2.67

Please show your workings!

Boring wrote:

latitude wrote:
Some fair points Frags. Bridgwater has been caught in a vicious circle for a while, i.e. less shoppers = less shops = less shoppers and so on. The recession obviously hasn't helped, but that has had the same effect almost everywhere. The only hope we have is the influx of jobs created by the upcoming developments (Hinkley C, Mulberry etc.) and then the bigger names in shopping may begin to open stores in Bridgwater – but times have changed with people favouring out of town shopping, so the town centre may never recover; who knows?

There is something the residents of Bridgwater could do. Yes, many of us go to Street, Taunton, Bristol or Exeter for shopping trips because the choice is lacking in Bridgwater, but there are still many things that we buy elsewhere which are available in Bridgwater (and I don’t just mean mobile phones, coffee and second-hand items!). It would only take a bit of forethought and these goods could be purchased in Bridgwater instead. It would be a start to reversing the aforementioned vicious circle.

Back to the main topic though, my point was about the amount of money spent on Xmas lights; would people really prefer a rebate or reduction in rates of a few pence (that is all it would amount to per household) rather than have the lights up? I agree with Frags that the length of time they’re up for is ridiculous, but the people have come to expect Xmas to start in November…I put that mainly down to trends in commerce with shops putting up decorations far too early. Personally, I’m not all that fussed about whether we have lights or not, but for someone to suggest we should get a few pence knocked off our Council Tax is a joke!

Its no joke, it would probably pay for a couple trips to the tip.............
You dont want money back for no xmas lights, but i presume your happy to have less and less services to keep your council tax down?? i'm not.
Its exactly the same thing in my eyes.
if the council gives us even less of a service then give us some money back.

As far as im concerned ive paid up front for the expense of xmas lighting etc, if its not provided then give everyone back the money that is set aside for them. simple.

You obviously don't have a full understanding of where the money for council services comes from then. Council Tax is just a part of it; the majority comes from Central Government and this is where the cuts have been made. Councils have been faced with the choice of raising Council Tax to make up for the Central Government cuts, by reducing services or a bit of both. Not quite so simple as you think.