THERE will be no big Christmas lights switch-on event in Middlewich this year due to coronavirus, town councillors have agreed.

With three months to go until the event would have been held, and rules on Covid-19 still preventing mass gatherings, councillors have agreed to a virtual switch-on instead.

The online event will take place on Facebook on Friday, December 4, as agreed by members at Thursday’s meeting.

Cllr David Latham, independent, said: “If we are taking it that everything stays the way it is now, we can’t have a switch-on, end of.

“So unfortunately – and we have all learnt now – it’s just a different year this year. Fireworks, a stage at the front, we can’t have it.

“We’re not tying anybody’s hands, we are just sticking by the law on this.”

Plans for a market which would have taken place the following day are also set to be shelved, despite ‘Covid-secure’ markets being allowed under the current guidance, with members feeling the rules on social distancing would not be particularly Christmassy.

Cllr Mike Hunter, Labour, said: “The beauty of having a Christmas market is you wander around, you meet people, you stop, you talk, you have a drink, you have something to eat, you see people you haven’t seen.

“All that has gone – the pleasure of the market has disappeared.”

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The decision will be confirmed at a future full town council meeting.

Meanwhile, plans for a ‘festive fringe’ are set to be considered by the council’s Folk and Boat Festival working group, with members keen to find some way of supporting Middlewich pubs and venues.