Douglas Borough Council have removed Douglas' festoon fairy lights from the promenade. The festoon fairy lights have been iconic of Douglas since the 1940s and form a beautiful and welcoming spectacle for travellers arriving in the Isle of Man by sea and people enjoying the promenades at night time. By removing the festoon fairy lights, which resemble a twinkling necklace running across the bay, Douglas Borough Council are ripping the soul out of Douglas and removing an iconic feature of the town.

This petition is calling for the retention and renovation of Douglas' festoon fairy lights. In particular, we would like to see the double string of white lights which run the length of the promenades from lamp post to lamp post put back up on each side of the road. We also want to see the coloured lights which form bands between lamp posts across the promenade put back up again. In addition, we would like to see the renovation of the coloured lights which run up the promenade drives and we would like the restoration of the spider-webs of coloured lighting at Strathallan, the bottom of Broadway and the Sea Terminal restored. 

The new LED lights which Douglas Borough Council have installed are ugly, they are out of keeping with the promenade and they are no replacement for the subtle beauty of the festoon lighting. The fact that they can bathe the promenade in brash shades of LED light is no replacement for the festoon fairy lights. Generations of tourists to the Isle of Man have been charmed by the romance of the lights and the lights bring Douglas' promenades alive at night time. They are an asset to hotels and businesses operating on the promenades. The promenades are currently being refurbished by the Isle of Man Government and it is essential that we keep what is best about them while improving the things which are in need of renovation. To this extent, we want to see the festoon lights, which are Douglas Borough Council's responsibility, continuing to be a primary feature of the promenades after the refurbishment is completed.

Douglas Borough Council has had responsibility for the Villa Marina taken off them by the government and responsibility for Douglas' Horse Trams taken off them too. Both of these things save the council money. That is money which was formerly invested in the promenades. Yet, no matter how much they save, they want to go on cutting. Douglas' festoon fairy lights are not for cutting. Save Douglas' beautiful iconic lights.

Please sign the petition.