1 week Ago
A COUNCIL under fire after telling residents to decorate its Christmas trees themselves has hit back at a former member who raised complaints. Pontypool Community Council agreed last year it would no longer provide cut Christmas trees to surrounding towns and villages and instead plant living trees. It said while it would provide solar powered lights for the trees residents themselves, and their local community councillors, would have to be responsible for any other decorations.
It said it historically it has only ever lit trees rather than decorate them. The decision prompted Torfaen Borough councillor Giles Davies to highlight his concerns around potential litter if decorations fell, or are blown away, and risks to pets and wildlife. He also said decorations such as tinsel could be off putting to birds.
The row generated national headlines prompting Pontypool Community Council to issue a statement in which it said it had been unable to light a tree in Talywain due to an objection from the borough councillor for Abersychan, who had previously also been a member of the community council. It said: “Independent Councillor Davies, who left the Labour group and his voluntary role on the community council, has complained about the siting of a single tree in the village of Talywain, suggesting it ‘poses a danger to dogs’ if illuminated. We have not been able to light this tree due to his complaint.
“We are hoping to get the go-ahead to light this tree up in a safe and sustainable way, if not this year, then in the future.” Cllr Davies had told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he felt the location of the Talywain tree was unsuitable due to it being on a steep incline and in a field, he said, is mainly used by dog walkers. He had raised complaints last year the community council was no longer providing cut Christmas trees , other than its large decorated tree in the centre of Pontypool, and was also no longer providing fairy lights in outlying areas.
The community council also defended the decision to plant living trees, which it did using a contractor at the end of October, on cost and environmental grounds and said a number of locally organised events have since been held, involving community and youth groups, to decorate the trees. In response to Cllr Davies’ comments decorations could be harmful to dogs the council said any in public should be under control and it is common for gardens and outdoor spaces to have decorations. It also said: “Every home in the UK has a Christmas tree in the living room this time of year, often times pets are left unsupervised and with access to Christmas trees without any undue risk or alarm caused.
” Animal welfare charity the RSPCA advises pet owners to avoid breakable baubles, and if used to hang them up higher, and says cats should be discouraged from climbing home Christmas trees by using a tree stand and distracting them with other activities or objects. Cllr Davies, who said he was concerned decorations that hadn’t been subject to any checking could cause injury, said the potential to create litter could also be at odds with Torfaen Borough Council’s declaration of a nature emergency. It has given the community council permission to plant a number of trees on land it owns.
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