Council under fire for DIY Christmas tree decision

People are not filled with festive cheer after a council asked them to decorate the town's Christmas trees themselves.

Pontypool Community Council took the decision last year to replace traditional cut Christmas trees with 16 living trees at the end of October.

While the council provided solar-powered lights for the trees, it said any other tinsel, baubles and decorations had to be provided by people in the Torfaen town and their community councillors.

Giles Davies, independent councillor for Abersychan, said: "I don't want to sound like a Scrooge but my concern is what happens when the decorations blow away?"

Mr Davies posted a photograph on X of a tree at Varteg bus terminus where plastic baubles had been blown off the branches.

"If you do any research you'll see that decorations affect wildlife, noise from tinsel can put birds off going to an area and it can be dangerous to dogs," he added.

"What happens if a dog or a hedgehog eats the decorations or someone puts glass on there? What monitoring is taking place, I don't think it's been thought through."

The original decision to no longer provide cut Christmas trees was criticised by Mr Davies last year.

He also questioned how people will be able to decorate the trees as they grow over the years.

Since the trees were planted, community groups, including youth groups, have taken part in events to decorate them.

Pontypool Community Council leader Gaynor James said she did not want to respond to comments made by Mr Davies.