Keith being forced to scale back Christmas decorations due to new rules

Road bosses are coming under attack as a Moray town is having to scale back its traditional Christmas lights display.

For over 20 years Keith has had one of the North East’s better festive showings, with lights running the length of the A96 as the road passes its way through the town.

However the town’s Christmas Lights Committee has been told that, this year, it must pay a registered contractor to put up and take down the decorations.

At a charge of about £15,000 that’s money which Keith doesn’t have.

Callum Stuart, chairman of the Keith Lights Committee, said “We have been installing the Christmas lights safely for many years without any issues.

“We have looked at getting a contractor in, but the costs are prohibitive. We can’t find any way to meet these requirements as volunteers and therefore we will not be installing lights along the A96 in 2024.”

The requirement to use a registered contractor comes from Transport Scotland which, rather than Moray Council, looks after all routes classed as trunk roads.

Aberlour and Craigellachie both stand on another trunk road, the A95. Therefore they too face charges of about £100 to erect each separate fitting, plus a further £100 to remove it at the end of the festive season.

Dawn Borland, secretary of the Keith Lights Committee, said: “We have written along with representatives from Aberlour and Craigellachie to the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, our MPs and MSP. All to no avail.

“It feels like we are being penalised for living on a trunk road because we have to meet these requirements which are designed for motorways and dual carriageways.

“The lights make such a difference to the feel of the town during Christmas, and during these challenging times, so it’s a shame that we won’t see the full display this year.”

Tim Eagle, a list Conservative MSP for Moray, described the regulations as ‘bah humbug’ and also complained about the traffic problems the town has had to put up with since July.

He said: “This is an outrageous decision from Transport Scotland, at a time when Keith and its businesses have been hammered by the continued traffic disruption at Union Bridge. We should be building community spirit, not flattening it.”

“I imagine there are several highly qualified electricians in Keith who would be able to do this perfectly safely to bring Christmas joy to the town.”

Neither Aberlour or Craigellachie have traditionally fitted their own lights in the way that Keith does, relying instead on contractors.

The Aberlour Community Association (ACA) confessed itself “surprised” last year to be charged around £2500 for the task.

This year it has received donations from local sources to met the costs.

Paul Anderson, Transport Scotland’s area manager, said: “ (We) created guidance in 2019 pertaining to festive decorations … along or above roads or footways on the trunk road network.

“The priority for the Scottish Government is the safe and efficient movement of all road users and festive decorations must therefore not adversely affect this overarching priority.

“The guidance ensures the safety of all road users including those erecting decorations.

“It is important from a safety and liability perspective that festive lighting is only installed by members of the Highways Electrical Registration Scheme (HERS), which Transport Scotland stipulates for any electrical works carried out on the trunk road network.”

In Keith the volunteers will be installing their fittings away from the A96, placing them instead in Reidhaven Square, Regent Square, Banff Road and Mid Street.

The town’s lights are being turned on at 5pm on Saturday, November 30.

Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.