Community praise for new park lights

THE community has hailed the switching on of the ‘amazing’ festoon lights in King George V Park (KGV) as a huge ‘success’, after the project was completed following two years of discussion by the town council.

The lights have been installed by Light Fantastic around all routes of the KGV, with the aim of improving the safety of residents using the park when it’s dark.

In total, the project has cost Melksham Town Council £29,800, as opposed to the initial £68,000 which was set aside to purchase ‘swan neck’ lighting columns earlier this year.

The decision to install festoon lighting followed a poll created by Melksham News which showed that the community was in favour of this style of lighting.

One resident, Bo Novak said, “I welcome the lights, they are a really excellent improvement. I was surprised to see them, I was walking through the park as a cut through to the centre of town to the high street and it was just beginning to get dark. I think they look very pretty. There was also somebody doing maintenance on them when I walked through as well which I think is really important because I think they will look quite sorry for themselves if the bulbs start to go.

“More importantly, it felt safer to go across and it makes the park more usable for more hours of the day. As a woman walking through on my own I felt it was more comfortable, the CCTV helps too, it’s an added reassurance. I feel safer now although I wouldn’t have avoided the park before. Luckily Melksham at the moment feels quite safe and I am really lucky to live here as it feels like a safe town.”

On social media, many residents also shared their praise for the ‘spectacular’ new lights. One resident said, “They look fantastic – well done, team. As a regular dog walker in the town, that have made a ‘nice addition to the town.’”

Another resident said, “I have been having to avoid the park during darkness as I didn’t feel safe with the lack of lighting – I’m now very much looking forward to being able to walk my dog around the park during the early morning / late evening.”

One reason the festoon-style of lighting was chosen by the town council was because the lighting technician, Paul Weymouth, said the spill of light would be ‘kinder’ to wildlife and the environment, unlike the lighting columns which had been planned previously.

However, some residents have raised concerns about the impact the festoon lights may have on the environment. “It looks good, but I feel for the wildlife,” says one resident. “A further negative effect for the benefit of humans.”

Another resident raised concern about the environment and costs of the lights, which will be turned on for the duration of darkness saying, “So these lights are on all night. Wow, at a time when most councils are looking to reduce street lighting hours for both environmental and cost reasons, our council is making this decision.”

In response to the comment, Paul Weymouth said the lights do have the capacity to be set on a timer to come on and off at different times, but for now, they will remain switched on when it is dark, as decided on by the town council, using an extra 200 watts of electricity.