Hebden Bridge: Residents split over smaller Christmas tree

The reduced size of a West Yorkshire town's Christmas tree has left residents divided.

Hebden Bridge's festive centrepiece has been installed in St George's Square ahead of the annual lights switch-on.

However, some sizing up this year's tree said it was no match for last year while others welcomed a smaller model.

Calderdale Council said it had decided to "standardise" the height of all its trees installed in the borough at around 20ft (6m) high.

The scaled-down display received a frosty reception from some passers-by and local businesses on Wednesday.

Speaking to BBC Look North, butcher David Woodhead, whose shop overlooks the square, said a council worker had been lifting the tree into place as he arrived on Tuesday morning.

He said its size had come as a "bit of a shock" compared with last year's evergreen.

Mr Woodhead: "I came yesterday morning and he was stood there putting it up. I went over and I said, 'is this it?'

"He was really embarrassed and said, 'yeah that's why I'm here at eight o'clock in the morning doing it, so I don't get any stick.'"

Hannah Murray, who works in the butchers, added: "It has split the community."

Kate Mawdsley said last year's tree had been "huge" in comparison.

She said: "It was rather large, but it had a very dramatic effect."

Aaron Baylin-Shackleton, who was at work in the nearby Little H Cafe Bar, said the girth of last year's fir had caused issues for pedestrians.

"It's a bit easier to walk around and for movement, and it doesn't make it as dark in here, which is quite nice, compared to last year, because it was a bit overbearing, shadowing everything.

"So it's a bit nicer to have more light in here, but also it's good to have a big tree."

Another onlooker, Joann Rotherer, said: "It's a bit dismal, isn't it? It's a bit boring. It doesn't represent Hebden, does it?"

Calderdale councillor Jenny Lynn said the authority supplied and decorated 18 Christmas trees across the borough, as well as other festive lighting.

She said: "We know how much people value these decorations and we work hard to ensure that they bring festive cheer.

"Work begins each year in the summer to plan for the Christmas period and this involves our engineers visiting each location in the borough to ensure a tree can be installed safely and securely.

"This year, it was their professional judgement that the trees should be around 20 feet tall and standardised across the borough."

Hebden Bridge's lights switch-on event is being held on November 23, from 15:00 GMT to 20:00.

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