Winsford town centre’s Christmas lights for 2022 will once again be installed and maintained by Northwich Town Council.

Winsford Town Council own their lights, but they are not able to install, maintain and remove them by themselves.

Northwich will also be asked to provide and erect Winsford’s Christmas tree.

The contract to install the lights and the tree is worth more than £20,000.

To secure the service from Northwich, Winsford Town Council held a vote on whether to waive the stipulations set out under section 11a of the council’s financial regulations, relating to contracts of more than £20,000.

Winsford town clerk, Mark Bailey, said: “It is a proposal we don’t make lightly.

“We have put the contract out to tender before, and the response has not been good. Not many people bid for the work.

“When we put it out to tender last year, Northwich bid and we accepted, and they did an exemplary job.

“We have used other companies in the past, and we have not been particularly satisfied.”

The regulations state that: “A proposed contract for the supply of goods, materials, services and the execution of works with an estimated value in excess of £20,000 shall be procured on the basis of a formal tender.

“The invitation to tender shall be advertised in a local newspaper and/or in any other manner that is appropriate.”

The vote took place at the meeting of full council at Wyvern House on Wednesday, September 21, where all but one councillor voted in favour.

Chris Shaw, Northwich town clerk, said: “We have been providing the Christmas lights service to other parishes in the county for around 15 years.”

“It’s mostly done in-house by the 14 staff we employ over the winter.

“We use a regular contractor for the electrics because they need to be licensed.

“It’s just the same as Cheshire West and Chester doing them, or Vale Royal Borough, as they once did, for the towns and parishes in the area.

“We just want them all to look their best.”