Christmas lights have gone up at a lower cost across one of Bolton’s district towns under a new arrangement for the first time this year.

The lights were installed around Horwich town centre at the start of this week, marking the start of the festive season.

Cllr David Grant, of Horwich South and Blackrod, said: “We’re the first town council to have taken them back in-house and we’ve managed to save more than £2,000.

“With that saving we want to be able to add to them year on year, so we hope to have an even better offer next year.”

The Bolton News: The Christmas lights have been brought 'in-house'The Christmas lights have been brought 'in-house' (Image: Public)

Cllr Grant says that having taken the arrangement of Christmas lights “in-house” from Bolton, Horwich Town Council has sparked interest in other towns and districts in the borough, like Westhoughton, doing similar.

He said: “The lights have been completely refurbished as you can see from the photos!”

He claimed that the newly refurbished lights “look miles better than the plain ones we took away from Bolton.”

The installation of the new lights comes amid a busy time for festive preparations across Bolton, with the switch on festival in Horwich planned for December 1.

There will also be switch on events in Westhoughton, Little Lever and Bromley Cross and well as potentially in Farnworth.

In Bolton town centre, a traditional Christmas lights switch on has been replaced by the “Put Big Light On” festival, which will run November 30 to December 21 and feature a wide variety of sights and attractions.

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The last traditional Christmas light switch on in Bolton town centre took place in 2019, with others being cancelled as a result of Covid

Lee Fallows, Bolton Council’s director of corporate resources, said: “I’m thrilled that we have managed to deliver such a fantastic light festival for our residents and visitors.

“It’s a great way to celebrate Christmas and provide free and accessible activities for families in Bolton throughout December.

“This forms part of our long-term cultural strategy where we are committed to breathing life back into the town centre and making Bolton an attractive place to live, work, study, visit and invest.”