A Devon fishing town has picked up an award for staging the best eco-friendly Christmas lights display for the fourth year running after investing in the country’s only solar-powered street decorations.
Brixham Town Council fought off competition to scoop the prize in the Torbay Winter Glitterland competition, which is held every year to reward residents and organisations who go the extra mile to make the bay’s streets look festive.
The town council, which also won the best Harbour Lights trophy at a ceremony held at the beginning of this month (January), won the award after using energy-saving decorations, including 22 solar-powered Christmas trees mounted on lampposts on the main road into Brixham.
Developed by floral features Plantscape, the three-foot tall artificial trees – which are supplied as 44 half-tree units – are each studded with 60 tiny LED lights, which use just 10 per cent of the power required by standard incandescent lights.
On top of each tree stands a solar panel, which gathers energy from the winter sun during the day and stores it in a battery mounted in the pot at the base of the trunk.
When night falls, a pre-programmed control panel switches on the lights at a set time and can keep them twinkling until long into the night, without incurring any costs for electricity.
Mark Stone, managing director of Plantscape, said: “Well done to Brixham Town Council.
“Not only is their award win very much deserved, by using our trees they will have saved taxpayers hundreds of pounds over the past four years, while managing to brighten up their streets at Christmas at the same time.”
Plantscape is based on a site with 100,000 sq ft of greenhouse space and 15,000 sq ft of warehouse space, enough to house over 20,000 planters and over £300,000 worth of stock.
It has 230 products on the market, from hanging baskets and free-standing tubs to towering, multi-layered planters, planters incorporating cycle racks, basket trees and watering systems. Its sister company, Urbanscape, supplies a range of 21st century urban furniture, including benches, litter bins, grit bins, signposts and bollards.
Telephone: +44 (0)1335 372 785
Fax: +44 (0)1335 372 786
E-mail: info@plantscapeuk.com
www.plantscapeuk.com