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Christmas lights black out concerns in Newry have been raised over fears for female safety on dark streets this festive season.
The council’s deputy chairperson has called for the local authority to check on the potential for faulty wiring amid previous black outs in Merchants Quay leaving women feeling vulnerable.
The illumination issue has come as Newry, Mourne and Down District Council’s Christmas contract runs out with the cost of light its “biggest challenge” after years of “overspending”.
Newry City councillor Doire Finn said: “In relation to the Christmas lights and the street lighting at Merchant’s Quay, obviously that’s an area of Newry where there’s lots of nightlife, there was a situation when both sets of lights (Christmas and and street lights) were knocking the other set of lights off.
“There’s the balance there between the whole street at times when they were knocked out and there were no lights at all.
“So, there is an issue, particularly for women’s safety, if you’re coming home from a night out or you’re walking around that area, there were times where it was pitch black.
“Is that issue going to be resolved this year between ourselves and the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) ?”
In recent times, Merchants Quay in the centre of the city has undergone a public realm scheme and is one of the main thoroughfares to the city’s night time economy.
An electrical problem on Merchants Quay has previously been reported over the past few years throwing the area into darkness, causing concerns on safety for people walking in the area, especially women.
The environment committee also heard a call for a full review of illuminations for the entire district over “issues in the past”
Slieve Gullion councillor Martin Hearty said:“On the Christmas illumination, I note that the contract is due to expire and a procurement exercise will be required to find new contracts next year.
“I think that might be a good opportunity to perhaps review the current approach to illuminations.
“I know we’ve had several issues in the past couple of years..it would be a good opportunity to review how we do that.”
A council officer responded:” I think I’m correct in saying that the problem with lights on Merchants Quay was the year before last.
“So we worked closely with colleagues in DfI to do testing, and then there was remedial work carried out by the department in that area, which resolved it as far as I know.
“Last season we didn’t have the same issues.”
The officer added:”The cost of the Christmas illuminations programme is increasing steadily.
“In terms of the energy costs they are increasing dramatically as well as installation, monitoring and repairing vandalism during the period.
“It’s really challenging in terms of the funding that we have available for this, we’ve overspent the last couple of years.
“We can look at the business case that is going to have to come through the procurement exercise.”
