Coalville residents have been promised an improved display of Christmas Lights this year - thanks to a fresh injection of cash.

An additional £20,000 has been made available from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to help upgrade and provide additional Christmas lights in Marlborough Square and along Belvoir Road - which, it is felt, has been neglected in the past.

The UKSPF pot has supported many local projects within North West Leicestershire - and this is the latest example.

North West Leicestershire District Council's Coalville Special Expenses Working Party met on Tuesday night to discuss Christmas in Coalville - on November 23 - and the festive lights for the town.

Cllr Michael Wyatt, the Working Party Chair, thanked officers at the meeting for their support in finding the extra funds.

He said: "The £20,000 being invested is a step in the right direction. 

"One of my pledges was to improve Christmas in Coalville which we are on target to deliver. 

"Being a part of the administration has helped to deliver a real difference to our town which we have always championed - while others just moan and groan at the sidelines. 

"Coalville has so much potential and that's why I'm determined to make sure, at every opportunity, we continue to push forward and fight for a better deal for our town."

Cllr Michael Wyatt. Photo: Coalville Nub News

Council officer, Paul Wheatley, explained the background to the extra lighting being made available - and the added benefit of having the new look Marlborough Square available for Christmas in Coalville.

He told the meeting: "Christmas in Coalville is being billed, as we always do, a day of Christmas festivities in the town.

"Planning is very well underway. We're going to be using all of the traditional spaces, I would probably describe them as, in Coalville.

"Marlborough Square is available again to us this year, for the first time for a number of years and not only that, it will be the pedestrianised area, so it should be a much better place to hold those events.

"We have managed to get an e-mail confirmation from the Belvoir Shopping Centre that we are able to use parts of their space, and car parking this year will be at their Market Hall car park. Needham's Walk will have the fun fair on it so we've effectively consolidated it a little bit in the town centre.

"Marlborough Square, shopping centre, Needham's Walk with car parking supporting. So hopefully that means we'll get a good interflow of people between the various locations."

Mr Wheatley then told councillors about the improved Christmas lighting for the town.

The Christmas lights on the corner of High Street and Memorial Square in 2022. Photo: Coalville Nub News

He added: "It's the historic stock that we're utilising, but we have, with a little bit of money that came from the UK Shared Prosperity, been able to secure some additional lighting.

"What that will mean this year for Coalville is that rather than just lighting High Street, Memorial Square, a tiny section of Ashby Road and then having a gap and some more lights, at Marlborough Square this year, will have a flow of lights that link the two together, so we're really hoping that the town centre will appear more illuminated.

"We still have the issues with the lamp columns on Belvoir Road, but we've gone for bower lights which basically wrap around the column itself and don't impose any wind load on the columns.

"Fingers crossed that it's going to look really good this year.

"The intention is to try and build up the lights and have a really good display throughout the town centre."

Cllr Wyatt added: "I just want to say thank you, to Paul and his team , for allowing us to have that additional money for the town."