³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ

Plans to cut back Christmas lighting in the centre of Belfast this year have been scrapped.

Extra money has been found to fund the traditional festive lights.

A Belfast City Council committee was told last month the rising cost of "insurance, energy and labour" would mean cut-backs this year.

But at the monthly meeting of the council on Monday night, it was announced additional funding to pay for lighting had been sourced.

The council's chief executive John Walsh said the money would come from "underspends or otherwise from reserves".

The lights are usually turned on in late November in an attempt to boost Christmas shopping.

The city centre has suffered in recent years due to the Covid pandemic and the Primark fire in 2018.

Last month's meeting had been told that funding for Christmas lights would "concentrate on the central business district and not include arterial routes".

However, after Monday's meeting it was agreed to light up the city as normal.

A Belfast City Council spokesperson said: "Councillors have agreed that Belfast will mark the 2023 festive season with a combination of a traditional lights switch-on event and a city centre-wide programme of entertainment and animation at weekends in the run-up to Christmas.

"This will also include seasonal lighting displays, as in previous years."

Former Belfast Lord Mayor Michael Long welcomed the move.

"It is understandable finances need to be looked at in the current climate," the Alliance Party councillor said.

"However, Christmas is a special time of year with people coming from miles around to see the lights and experience the atmosphere, spending money and boosting the economy in the process.

"There is certainly a feeling from many that Christmas is now saved for the city, particularly traders, who faced with rate increases, will need the economic boost Christmas footfall provides."

An announcement on the date and time of the Christmas lights switch-on is expected in October.