THE 40 METRE TREE THAT TURNED OUT TO BE 40 FEET
Council promised city a 40m Christmas tree costing £30k... this is what they got
CARDIFF had been told a Christmas tree standing at a gigantic 40m in height was on its way – but it turned out it’s actually 40ft.
Cardiff council had said the £30,000 artificial “tree-shaped structure”, shipped from China and hired on a three-year lease, was 40m high – even tweeting on Thursday evening: “At 40m in height it should prove to be a spectacular addition to Christmas in Cardiff #cdfcardiff”.
After the tree was put up in the city overnight on Friday outside Cardiff Castle, questions were raised yesterday as to its true height.
After we asked yesterday if the height of the tree could be confirmed, a spokeswoman for the council said the tree is 40ft.
This is equivalent to 12m and more than three times smaller than-described.
At 40m, the Christmas tree would have been taller than Rio’s statue of Christ the Re- deemer and twice the height of the Angel of the North.
The tree is on a three-year lease from Blackburn-based MK Illumination and £10,000 will be forked out annually over the next three years.
Due to the tree being shipped over from China, this year’s Christmas lights switch-on in Cardiff city centre had to go ahead without it.
There had already been some controversy over this year’s tree, after offers were made by local companies to provide a real tree for free.
Last year’s tree was sponsored by insurance firm Admiral.
A total of £10,000 will be spent every year for the next three years on this new artificial tree but the council saysy the £30,000 cost for the three-yeary hire will re- sult in a saving.
The authority said last year’s tree came with a pricetag of about £15,000 – consisting of £10,000 for the tree itself, £2,000 to dress it up and £3,000 to install and then remove it.
There was plenty of reaction to the arrival of this year’s tree on social media.
Anna Maria Harding commented on Facebook: “Money could have been better spent helping the homeless and vulnerable. Worst tree I have ever seen in my lifetime. Waste of money.”
Tracey Bishop added: “Considering Cardiff is our capital surely a traditional home grown tree would be more fitting than plastic baubles from a factoryy somewhere.”
And Sarah Jane Chubb wrote: “Would this money not have been better spent on giving homeless people a place to stay over the Christmas holiday and warm meals?”
A Cardiff council spokesman said last week: “The artificial tree, sourced from China, is a 40m-high, treeshaped structure covered in golden baubles with all decorations and illuminations pre-attached.
“It will go on show on Friday, November 25, and should be a spectacular addition to Cardiff’s Christmas offering.”
But Conservative councillor for the city’s Rhiwbina area, Jayne Cowan, who led opposition to the spending on the tree, said she was appalled by the cost and there should have been more effort to seek out sponsors for a real tree.
She said: “To spend £30,000 of hard-working taxpayers’ money hiring an artificial tree for three years is beyond belief.”