North-east community groups could soon be sent electric bills if a new Christmas lights policy is approved.
Aberdeenshire Council first proposed charging associations for powering festive displays in January, which could save the authority £11,000 each year.
However the scheme was put on hold following objections from various groups who claimed it would harm tourism.
It forms part of wider guidelines on banners, bunting and flower displays which will be discussed by councillors on the infrastructure services committee next week.
The committee is being recommended to approve the policy, which would be implemented from October.
It states: “In the past Aberdeenshire Council has met the costs of electricity used by Christmas lights where these were supplied from the street lighting network.
“Increasing demands for festive lighting in our settlements coupled with ongoing budget pressures, however, means that this discretionary expenditure is becoming harder to sustain and applicants shall be required to pay in advance a charge covering the cost of electricity consumed.
“This charge shall be calculated from the length of period applied for and total electrical load to be connected to the street-lighting supply as detailed in the annual application form. After the application form has been assessed, the applicant shall be notified of the charge and approval shall only be granted for connection to the street-lighting electricity supply once full payment has been received.
“The charge shall be considered to be a fixed cost covering the proposed installation. Partial refunds shall not be made, for example, where the number of units connected is less than initially approved or where the hours of supply are less than applied for. “
Initial discussions of the policy had sparked concern that it could harm the reputation of the authority.
In neighbouring Aberdeen, electricity for town centre displays is paid for through its common good fund.
Angus Council, meanwhile, pays the full bill of its 11 largest settlements. Only Moray Council does not foot its residents’ electricity bill.
Bob Morrice, chairman of Deveron Community Christmas Association, said: “I’ve only recently taken over as chairman but I’ve been told by people that Banff and Macduff have the best lights in the region, outside of Aberdeen.
“It would be pretty sad to see them go but every year it seems that there’s something else they’re trying to implement.
“Repairs alone are between £2,500 and £4,500 and insurance is coming in at £2,000. Now they want every set of lamppost lights PAT tested every three years which is going to cost us even more.
“The problem is the public are now saying they can’t see anything different because their money doesn’t go very far. It’s a bit unfair.”
