Sparks fly in row over Bulkington Christmas light switch-on event

The annual events mark the count down to the festive season across the borough



Sparks flew in a row over council funding for Christmas light switch-on event in Bulkington. It was previously revealed that while the village will have its festive lights Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council said it could not afford to stage an official switch-on event.

The community has rallied to ensure that the switch-on can take place on November 22. But ward councillors Lubs Cvetkovic was keen to get to the bottom of why the council funding for the event was pulled.

The Conservative claimed that they were not made aware of the plug being pulled on the funding for the event, and said that information was only being posted on the Nuneaton Labour page on Facebook. He also asked the ruling Labour group to explain the financial reason behind it.

"Cllr Watkins (the council leader) has spoken of the need to save millions of pounds," he said "I hope the several thousand saved from Bulkington will be put to good use and not for frivolous projects.

"I would like to know apart from the cuts to Bulkington Christmas lights event, what other budgetary cuts have been made that we have not been made publicly aware of."

Cllr Steve Hey, cabinet member for finances, said: "The council is not going to be offering officer time setting up and cleaning up after the Bulkington light switch on event. The cost of this is fairly minor, around £2,000.

"Given the financial situation left by the previous administration, we are asking all communities that we work with to do as much as possible to help themselves, as part of support packages from the council. In other words, working together for the wider good. I don't think there is anything wrong with that."

Cllr Hey claimed that £22,000 was being spent on the village lights, something Cllr Cvetkovic later went on to refute, saying that money was spent on buying the lights in previous years.

In regards to the lights, Cllr Hey said that other areas that have village centres, such as Attleborough, Galley Common and Keresley do not have Christmas lights provided or any switch-on events.

He added that when the Tories were in power previously they asked for the community to take over the running of both Stockingford and Keresley Community Centres after removing funding, saying the council could no longer afford to run them in the long-term.

"You (the Tories) suggested that the community get involved, that is all that we are saying," Cllr Hey said.

"You asked for cuts and savings, please be assured that all will be revealed as part of the budget setting process for next year, which is now underway and there will be nothing frivolous about that," he concluded.

Cllr Cvetkovic went on to say that the Bulkington switch on event was not £2,000 as Cllr Hey claimed. Cllr Cvetkovic said it was more than £4,500 as they have to fund the clean-up and private insurance for the event.

Lights switch-on saved after 'Grinch decision'



A Christmas lights switch-on event in a Warwickshire village has been saved after a "Grinch decision" by the council to withdraw some funding.

Volunteers have raised about £5,500 to fund Bulkington's event after Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council decided to remove funds for staffing and management.

Richard Smith, borough councillor for the village, said the switch-on remained an "important event for the village".

A spokesperson for the council said it had only withdrawn £2,000 and had still committed £22,500 to provide and install the village's Christmas lights.

The event will take place on Friday, featuring about 40 traders and a visit from the Nuneaton Grinch.

Mr Smith said: "They’re definitely a Grinch and I think they've lost the message of how important this is.

"Two thousand pounds is not a lot of money in the big context, so I'm not sure why the decision was made, but it was definitely a Grinch decision."

Ruth Ramshaw, from the Bulkington Volunteers Committee, said the group had worked hard to raise the funds to run the event.

"It's meant quite a few meetings and quite a bit of time," she said.

"We've managed to raise about £5,500 but we have exceeded the fundraising target that we had and so the event will go ahead."

A spokesperson for the council said they were "delighted" that the event was still happening.

"There are many villages in Nuneaton and Bedworth other than Bulkington and other wards that could reasonably expect to have a Christmas light switch-on event but do not," the spokesperson said.

"Our approach to all community groups needs to be consistent.

"The council cannot favour one area over another.

"We are keen to help and support local community groups and activities, but resources are stretched and going forward the council needs to ensure that taxpayers' money is spent wisely."

Bulkington Christmas lights 'spiteful class warfare' could be ending as council looks at funding



A 'spiteful class warfare' on funding for Bulkington Christmas lights switch-on event could soon be ended.

Back in 2024 Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council said that while it would provide the lights, it could not afford to stage the actual switch-on in the village.

It led to the community itself rallying, raising thousands of pounds to ensure that it could take place that year and, while the same effort was put in last year, it had to be cancelled due to bad weather.

But with planning now taking place for this year's event, ward councillor Lubs Cvetkovic appealed to the new Reform-led council to reverse the previous Labour council's decision and look at providing some funding this year.

He appealed for the 'decades old institution' to be restored as a civic event.

Council leader, Cllr George Finch said: "We are 100 per cent committed to this, I am 100 per cent committed to this, so we will be looking at supporting Bulkington Christmas lights. It is a shame again that the Labour administration completely shut out the people of Bulkington."

He added: "Bulkington has been forgotten about for a long, long time."

Cllr Cvetkovic's plea was backed by Conservative group leader, Cllr Kris Wilson, who formally requested that the council look at providing funding towards the event.

"I am hoping that it will end the spiteful class warfare that we saw when cancelling this event," Cllr Wilson said.

"I remember when I was leader of the opposition and being told (by Labour) that they were effectively taking it (the funding) away because effectively Bulkington residents are all rich and other areas aren't, so they were going to revoke the funding.

"Completely forgetting to recognise that Bulkington is the largest village in Warwickshire and I believe that Bulkingtonians tend to think of themselves as the largest in the country, although that is still open to debate."

He said there is in the region of 9,000 people in the village: "They deserve to have their own civic event, it happened years ago when they did it themselves and then the council took it upon itself when it (the switch on) fell into difficulties to have it as the third civic switch-on of the festive season and I believe it should be restored to that status to recognise that Bulkington is quite rightly proud of its village status in Nuneaton and Bedworth borough and we don't believe in class warfare in this chamber unlike others."

Cllr Michele Kondakor raised concerns about where the funding would come from, and how much it would cost.

Cllr Cvetkovic explained that funding was needed to help pay the costs of road closures and council involvement would also bring down other costs with other cash being raised by the community itself.

Cllr Paul Hickling tabled an amendment to the Tory motion that the council should consider looking at funding Christmas light switch on events for all wards across the whole of the borough.

"If we are going to have an investigation into Bulkington having for money for Christmas lights as a defined area of Nuneaton and Bedworth, could I also put forward a proposal that should also include Camp Hilll, Attleborough, Galley Common, Weddington and other areas of Nuneaton and Bedworth," Cllr Hickling said.

Cllr Keith Kondakor seconded this and Cllr Hickling confirmed that he wanted 'every area to be treated the same'.

But Cllr Cvetkovic said: "None of those places that Cllr Hickling mentioned actually have a Christmas lights switch-on event in the first place, how can he be asking for funding for something they don't currently have."

The 'all wards' amendment was put to the vote and lost with Reform and Conservative councillors voted against.

Then a vote was taken on the original motion, for the council to consider providing funding for the Bulkington Christmas light switch-on and this was passed.