Whitby Town Council has apologised to residents about a ‘lack of Christmas spirit’ due to the delayed installation of festive illuminations.
Staff changes, the retendering of contracts, and new lighting schemes are to blame for the delayed installation of Christmas lights in Whitby, according to the town council.
The authority said it was sorry “that the Christmas spirit has been lacking so far” and added that Whitby’s lights installation “should commence” on Tuesday, December 2.
“We hope that this late start has not impacted too much on your enjoyment of the festive season,” residents were told.
A late start to the retendering process for the lights contributed to slow progress, WTC stated.
In April, the authority advertised a £60,000 contract to provide lighting for the town centre from mid-November to early January for three years.
“Ideally, the awarding of the new contract should have been in place and confirmed by April or May, but this was not the case,” the authority said in a statement.
It added: “The town clerk, who was in post, did not complete the process until July 23, 2025 and subsequently left his post in mid-August. This delay with the manufacture of the new scheme of lights resulted in their delivery not happening until November 15, and our installation slot of November 11 and 12 was missed.
“The sub-contractors who are to install the lights have been unable to reschedule Whitby’s installation until December 2 and 3.”
According to the contract notice published in April, the selected contractor must be able to supply, install and remove the rented lights across the centre of town, from “lighting columns along Langborne Road, New Quay Road and St Anne’s Staith, from fittings spanning Baxtergate, Lion Bank, Church Street and the face of the Old Town Hall”.
The council also requires the dressing of Christmas Trees at the end of Baxtergate, Bridge Street and Bagdale, according to the notice.
The notice stated: “To be considered, interested contractors must demonstrate a proven track record, supported by evidence of previous or similar projects.”
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