Issue - meetings

A period of up to one hour is allocated to consider the motions on notice.  This may only be extended with the agreement of the Council.

The Chairman advised Members that two Motions on Notice had been submitted for consideration at this meeting.

Council considered the following Motion on Notice that was submitted by Councillor S. Ammar:

Christmas Light Switch on

“Timely and effective planning is essential for the success of community events that support our local economy. Council expresses concern about the planning process for this year's Bromsgrove Christmas light switch on event, where insufficient notice meant some hospitality businesses missed out on vital opportunities to generate additional income.

Council calls on the Cabinet to ensure that officers set a definitive cut-off date of 30 April 2026 to announce the Christmas lights switch-on date for 2026. This timeline is critical for aligning with hospitality businesses' needs and ensuring they can prepare adequately for the Christmas season.

A proactive approach will enable all our restaurants, cafes, pubs, and shops to participate fully, thus creating a vibrant festive atmosphere while giving local businesses a much-needed boost.”

In presenting the Motion, Councillor Ammar thanked those who had taken part in the Christmas Light Switch on in Bromsgrove High Street, in particular the schools and Members who attended. It had been a successful event however there were some concerns in respect of the planning of the event which had given rise to the Motion presented to Council.

The Motion was proposed by Councillor S. Ammar and seconded by Councillor J. Robinson.

The Leader of the Council provided information on the timeline for the Christmas Light Switch on and explained that this event always took place on the penultimate Saturday in November and that the Rubery Christmas Light Switch on always took place on the last Saturday in November. Therefore, the date for the event in 2026 was 21^st November.

The Leader took the opportunity to thank all those involved for making this year's event a great success, despite the rain during the day.

The details for the light switch on were later than usual this year because of the need to differently manage this very popular event so that there could be a countdown for the light switch on without residents congregating in one place.

Members were assured that dates for the event for 2026 would be shared with businesses in the new year via the business mailing list. The Bromsgrove Centres Manager and Communications team were currently planning a broader communications piece for the new Bromsgrove Town Centre Strategic Framework. This would include a request for businesses to provide updated information to ensure they were informed about high street activities.

The intention was to send this out before Christmas and the mailing list would be monitored and reviewed by Centres Manager.

In the run-up to Christmas events, the Events Team sent display material to those businesses operating near their locations of the light switch. Currently feedback was invited on the recent light switch on event through a recent press release which all Members received from the Communications Team and encouraged to respond to.

The clarification on the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 76