Oh, no, Christmas Tree
A Middlesbrough Christmas Tree has been getting a mixed reaction
One of Middlesbrough’s Christmas trees in the town centre has been labelled an “embarrassment” by an unhappy councillor.
Middlesbrough Independent Councillors Association (MICA) Councillor Dennis McCabe has described the tree as a “leaning 12 feet bush”.
He went on to call the tree, located at the junction of Corporation Road and Linthorpe Road as “an embarrassment to the town and an insult to the residents” and asserted that this is “just another example of a council that is out of touch with its residents”.
Cllr McCabe said: “As a former executive member for environment, I worked to install re-usable trees for the town centre to save money”. He added: “We spent almost £400K on lights and trees. So why are we not using them?”
Middlesbrough Council said that town centre LED lights were installed in 2020 and remain in situ all year round. The programmable system saves on costs compared with traditional lights, and has proved popular with residents, visitors and retailers.
The council also confirmed that the large digital Christmas tree in Centre Square has been installed this week, with a smaller digital tree in place at Newham Grange Farm. Due to popular demand, an additional natural tree has been introduced this year at the intersection of Linthorpe Road and Corporation Road.
Councillor Peter Gavigan, Middlesbrough Council’s executive member for environment & sustainability, said: “We take enormous pride in our Christmas decorations and a huge amount of work goes into getting the town ready for the festive season.
“This Thursday’s spectacular Lights Switch On will bring in the crowds to enjoy a magical evening with Jeff Stelling, as the run-up to the big day gets under way in earnest.
“Our new town centre lights and decorations have proved hugely popular since they were introduced, and I’m confident this year will be no exception.”