Highland community councils angry at hefty bills for Christmas trees they never asked for

NEWLY formed community councils face a shock Christmas tree bill which could hit them for up to 80 per cent of their total annual funding.

Groups are to be billed by Highland Council for the erection of community trees and lights as well as insurance, despite the fact that letters informing them of the costs were not sent out until after they disbanded in September, at the end of their current term.

Many are still to get back up and running after elections, potentially under new leadership, and may not even know about the bill that is coming their way.

The council is quoting a price of £200+VAT for delivery of trees plus a further £150 to cover the cost of erecting lights.

Community councils receive just £550 a year from the local authority to cover administrative costs.

David McGrath, the former chairman of Smithton and Culloden Community Council, branded the move “bureaucracy gone mad.”

He asked: “How can we be billed for a Christmas tree, lights and insurance when we didn’t agree to the trees in the first place?

“We finished at the end of September, the letters for the trees only come out in October or November time and we have still not been re-constituted.

“That means we will be picking up a bill for a tree that this community council didn’t agree to.”

He believes more than a dozen communities could be facing the surprise bill.

Last year a similar number across the Highlands were told they would not be receiving trees at all as part of cost-cutting measures by Highland Council and only got them after a national newspaper stepped in to foot the bill.

They included Stratherrick, Drumnadrochit, Tomatin, Dores, Beauly, Kiltarlity, Ardersier, Balnain and Foyers.

“It is very, very annoying that the council took away the trees in the first place and now they are charging us to pay for them, the insurance and the lights,” Mr McGrath said, also suggesting it was adding insult to injury that the trees were only going up this week, much closer to the big day than normal.

“Merry bl**dy Christmas!” he added.

Inverness South councillor Duncan MacPherson confirmed that bills would be sent out to community councils in the new year.

He also defended the lateness of trees arriving this year, including one in Cradlehall which was put up only yesterday.

Placing part of the blame on the general election, saying lighting staff were busy last week ensuring polling stations were adequately illuminated, he said: “There has been a delay with only eight days to go until Christmas Day, but I hope people appreciate that the trees to all the outlying areas will be in place this week.

“Staff are working as hard as they can to get them in place. “

A spokesman for Highland Council said: “We have supplied Christmas trees to some communities but, as previously reported to all the area committees where we have supplied them, the communities have to fund them.

“The cost for the tree delivered to site is £200+VAT and a further £150 to erect the lights.

“After very positive discussions and technical advice provided to them, many of the communities have self-delivered their Christmas lights, including provision of Christmas trees with local funding and donations. All previously held decorations have been passed into community ownership at no cost.

“We pre-booked trees with a third party to offer to communities at cost price and confirmation they were required had been slow coming back to us in some instances, with the result that a few were only confirmed late last week and are being put up this week.

“We want to highlight the efforts made by many communities through fundraising and volunteers, at a time when council budgets are under increasing pressure.”

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