Liandudno Town Council has hit back at the critics who had recently described its Christmas Lighting Display as ‘gloomy and depressing’. The council had been targeted on social media sites for what some people felt was a lack of Christmas cheer and spirit in the town centre.

The chairman of the town council’s decorative lighting committee has spoken out saying the complainers are ill informed using terms such as ‘Dismal’, ‘Disgraceful’ and ‘Pathetic’ to describe the illumination display. Brian Bertola, argues that the town council is faced with a huge annual electricity and maintenance bill of more than £40,000, and that they are currently spending more on illuminations than the majority of towns in North Wales.

He then went on to explain, “What people don’t seem to realise is that unlike other towns, the decorative lights on Llandudno promenade are on all year round, and so is the town centre lighting during the summer season and for special events. Due to this it means that our annual costs just to keep the lights on are particularly high. Although, we are constantly expanding the lighting year on year, and in the past two years we have been able to get some businesses on board to sponsor lighting motifs. I have called on local businesses within the town centre to get involved and each year more are coming forward to help support us.”

Gareth Owen, the former town councillor, is one of those who have been on the Three Towns Forum website commenting on the lights, and says he believes more should be done to improve lighting on the approaches to the town.  “There is nothing between the Links roundabout and North Western Gardens to let people know it’s Christmas, and there is nothing much between there and Marks and Spencer in Mostyn Street. Other towns have better lights than Llandudno,” he complained.