A COMPROMISE appears to be in the pipeline over which day the switch-on of Ledbury's Christmas Lights will take place, and whether or not there should be a High Street road closure.

The town's Christmas Lights committee recently voted for a switch-on and road closure on a Saturday; but some traders objected, believing this would be detrimental to trade, and that a Sunday switch-on would be better.

New talks with traders means the switch-on will indeed take place on a Saturday, but there will be no closure of the High Street,- a move which could have facilitated a Christmas Fayre.

Instead, the town council will apply for a closure of Church Street, which would allow young children to queue for Santa's grotto in greater safety, and which will facilitate more stalls and entertainments on the day.

Cllr Tony Bradford, who recently accused traders of trying to tell the town council what to do, welcomed the new plans.

He said: "We had a very constructive Christmas Lights committee meeting last week. A lot of traders came and it was very civilised.

"We are applying to close Church Street, and we can put entertainments up there, and more stalls."

But Cllr Bradford added: "The switch-on of the lights is not for the traders. Our priority is with the children. That is the essence of the situation.

"We offer the only Father Christmas in town. We had 250 kids queuing last year, and one year we had 600."

Cllr Martin Eager, chairman of the town's environment and leisure committee, and owner of the Homend Shopping Mall, said he was "quite happy" with the new plans and added: "The main reason for closing Church Street is to make it safer for children queuing to see Father Christmas."

The switch-on will probably take place at the end of November, as is usual.