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STREET REPORTER PALMA City Council is to spend nearly three million euros on decorative lights and decorations this Christmas. In terms of where the money is coming from, the Council itself is providing some 470'000 euros, an amount similar to last year with which to provide the illuminations. However, the new item this year is a further 2.2 million euros for extra “Christma trimmings” provided by Central Government as part of its “Plan E” economic aid package. The Council has already begun putting up 500 decorative light support struts across the streets of some 30 districts of the city.


Council sources said that improvements this year include the reorganisation of the electricity supply for the lights with much wiring being channelled underground in accordance with European Union safety legislation. The new support struts will also mean that the decorations can be hung free of building frontages which until now had been the mainstay of how the overhead illuminations had been mounted.

The Partido Popular (PP) in Opposition on the Council, said yesterday that at a time of recession when many people are finding it harder than ever to survive economically until the end of the month, is “not the best moment” to spend millions on Christmas decorations. Catalina Cirer, the ex Mayor of Palma said that Palma had more important priorities. The PP also criticised the fact that the type and style of illuminations had still not been chosen and that time when they had to be hung in readiness for the great occasion of “switching on” was fast approaching.