Health and safety forces Poole council to swap traditional Christmas tree for £14,000 'traffic cone'

Published 27th Nov 2009

From a health and safety point of view, it is the perfect Christmas tree.

There are no sharp needles, no unwieldy branches and no chance of it falling over and hurting someone.

But according to residents who have to look at it, there's also no festive spirit in this Christmas tree.

They have compared the giant astroturf cone to an oversized wizard's hat - or a set of doormats stuck together.

Michelle James, 27, said: 'I think it looks like something that has just landed from out of space. It looks nothing like a Christmas tree.

'It doesn't have any decorations as there are no branches to hang them from. It is just stood in the middle of the square like a great big green traffic cone. It's not at all Christmassy.'

The £14,000 structure, made of artificial turf stretched over an aluminium frame, stands 33ft high in the centre of Poole, Dorset.

It is weighed down with two tons of ballast to prevent it from toppling, has LED lights around it and plays piped Christmas carols.

Officials in Poole say the 'cone' tree is much safer and sturdier than natural versions which could be blown over.

Yesterday the town centre manager, Richard Randall-Jones, said: 'People think you can just go into the woods, chop down a tree and put it up in the high street.

'But if it blows over and kills someone then somebody is liable for it. We have to have guy ropes and hoardings to stop it from falling over and hitting somebody.

'Last year the board said they and the public didn't like all the ropes and hoardings around the Christmas tree.

'So I was tasked with finding a solution and we came up with the cone tree.'

He said the plan was approved by local business representatives.

So far however, the people of Poole aren't impressed.

They have questioned the wisdom of paying £14,000 for the plastic decoration instead of around £4,000 to buy, decorate and install a natural 30ft conifer.

Edward Stevens, 52, said: 'A Christmas tree is a tree that looks nice and sways in the wind and smells pleasant when you go past it. This just looks odd.'

Trish Glover, who runs a music shop overlooking the square where the cone tree has been erected, said it was a 'ridiculous waste of money'.

She added: 'I am a bit of a traditionalist and I prefer Christmas with a Christmas tree, not a big wizard's hat or a lump of astro-turf.'

According to residents, Poole has had a traditional Christmas tree for around 25 years. In that time it is not thought to have caused anyone any injuries.

The town crier David Squire, 67, said: 'I led the Father Christmas procession recently and it finished at this tree and I thought it was just a little bit disillusioning for all the children. I thought it took a little bit of sparkle out of Christmas for them.'

Josh Harding, seven, added: 'It looks weird - like a lot of doormats all stuck together.'

Source: ' Daily Mail '

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