By Joe McCann
A HUGE new 9m high Christmas tree will brighten up the centre of Newtownards in December.
Ards and North Down Council is planning to purchase the new artificial tree – at a cost of £16,500 – and to erect it in Conway Square for the festive season.
The tree will be similar to the one erected outside Bangor Castle each Christmaswill and will come with unlimited colour options, an aluminum frame, animated LED lighting and LED rope lighting.
The decision, which must be ratified by the full council, was taken at last week’s meeting of the council’s Environment Committee.
However, Newtownards DUP politician, Alderman Naomi Armstrong-Cotter, said there would be people in the area unhappy with the idea of a fake tree and would prefer a real one, however she acknowledged the need to be practical.
She said she did not want the council to end up saddled with a bad looking tree for 10 years if it turns out to be extremely unpopular locally.
“I think we can all acknowledge that we all want a beautiful, big real tree in the middle of Conway Square. It’s a real central focus of this area,” she said.
“It’s a beautiful space. We spent a lot of money, along with the Department for Communities, in making it that beautiful space. However, we also have to acknowledge that we don’t seem to be able to source those big, beautiful trees.”
Ms Armstrong-Cotter continued: “Last year’s tree was not great. I had so many people coming to me and saying about it. I really find myself torn because I am a natural tree person myself.”
Councillors were told Bangor’s tree is approaching 10 years old and the new one in Newtownards would have some improvements to the design.
Bangor’s tree will remain in use but officers are looking out for the future when it would be replaced with something akin to the new design which will go up in Newtownards.
On a more general discussion about Christmas trees in the borough, Bangor DUP councillor Alistair Cathcart noted that complaints were raised last year about the quality of some of the trees on display.
“How confident are you that we could potentially get better trees around the borough this year?” he asked officers.
He was told that council officials are planning to secure the best possible trees for the borough earlier than normal which would then be earmarked for use in the borough this Christmas.
DUP Alderman Trevor Cummings asked if council had budgeted ahead for improvements to Christmas lights and trees and was informed that council officers had done so and added in costs for potential renewals and upgrades to light schemes in other towns in the Borough.
