Alderley Edge Parish Council (AEPC) are appalled at the condition of one of the Christmas trees supplied by Cheshire East Council (CEC) and will be demanding a replacement.
As part of the transfer of assets programme, Cheshire East Council are no longer providing Christmas trees so for the first year the Parish Council is funding the Christmas trees - which they agreed to purchase from CEC at a total cost of £1850 for three trees.
The first two have been delivered to The Parade and Wood Gardens but the latter is described as "appalling for the amount of money for the quality of tree".
Cllr Melanie Connor said "It looks like a tree in the second week of January."
Cllr Mary Maczkowiak added "It's a disgrace. We are not accepting that at all. It is not big enough and has no spruce on it. It is an embarrassment."
Cllr Frank Keegan said "They will have to come and replace it. We have given them an order, they have accepted the order, get it sorted."
Alderley Edge Parish Council are being charged approximately £180 for three trees which should be approximately 15ft, plus about £500 to put each tree up, adorn it with lights, erect a safety fence around it and then take everything away afterwards. AEPC are having to pay separately for an electrician to connect the trees up to the power.
Updated: 2.11pm Wednesday 14th November.
A spokesperson from Cheshire East Council said "A Council officer has been out to inspect the tree and he agreed that the tree was a bit thin in parts and that he would be speaking to the supplier to find a bushier one at the same height. If one is available it will be replaced."
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
We also wouldn't have to buy a new one each year, I'm sure a local company could be found to do the lights etc
"If one is available, it will be replaced" is beyond belief. It's saying "we acknowledge it's a poor tree, but we'll only replace it with one 'fit for purpose' if it suits us". Would you do business with any organisation with an attitude like that?
2. The Parish Council has discussed the possibility of permanent trees; no decision yet.
3. The trees certainly don't have to come from Cheshire East Council; I believe that these trees come from the Macclesfield Forest.
Enjoy the switch-on 'party'.
2. Make a decision !
3 i will try
Working in my shop one Saturday in late October Two men went and had a look in the hole where a Christmas tree sits from mid November till January, they left. November comes Three men a waggon and a Christmas tree arrive, the tree is dropped in the hole. A few days later Mary is seen having her photo taken with said tree, she wasnt smiling, the trees photo ended up in the local paper.
November 15th three men a waggon with lifting arm arrive and remove the Christmas tree,later the same day three men a waggon with lifting and Christmas tree arrive and replace the tree removed in the morning with another more luxurious tree.
November 16th three men with waggon with cherry-picker on the back plus another man with lights for the tree arrive, two sets of lights decorate the tree, it is fenced off and the men disapear.
No wonder it costs £500 per tree with the man power used to erect One Chritmas tree.
1.xmas may not sneak up on us but Cheshire East did on this occasion.
2. what, make a decision without some thought and some consultation with Council Tax payers? Then the Parish Council be called 'fascist dictators'?
3. go for it! let the good times roll!