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West Lothian Council may open up all of its country parks to events, not only for Christmas but potentially year-round.
With no festive event set up this year for Beecraigs at Linlithgow, operators will be asked to bid with ideas early in the new year with a final decision being taken in April.
The move follows the collapse of a Christmas event planned for Beecraigs after the withdrawal of the company involved.
In a report to the Executive David Baird, the councils Property services manager highlighted: "Officers from NETs Land and Countryside Services and Property Services have considered opportunities for potential commercial events to take place specifically over the autumn and winter period across the council's country parks, including consideration of the facilities at Beecraigs Country Park, Almondell Country Park and Polkemmet Country Park."
Mr Baird said: "Officers can also confirm they have already been approached by operators seeking clarity on the council's future intentions following confirmation of the decision to terminate GCLL's previous licence agreement early."
Councillors backed the start of a test marketing campaign with officers reporting back to the Executive in April.
GCLL, a Bathgate based events company, won the five year licence for a Christmas lights event at Beecraigs in 2024. However their first year's production was dogged by problems including traffic issues.
Following this Beecraigs woodlands were badly damaged by severe winter storms in January and February.
Mr Baird told councillors: "GCLL remained in close dialogue and worked with council officers throughout the subsequent period, but ultimately confirmed that, due to the aforementioned factors, it would not be possible for them to deliver viable events in future years."
The firm has now quit the licence, paying the council £30,000 as an exit fee.
Linlithgow councillor Sally Pattle asked: "Are you able to say whether you have interest from local providers or do you think interest will come from national providers?"
Mr Baird replied: "In the past we have had interest from local companies and we hope that would be the case again. What we're not wanting to do is preclude anyone coming to this. It's really about experience that we'll be looking for"
Councillor Pattle said: "I like the fact that you have broadened it to all of the country parks in West Lothian. I think we have got really fantastic assets in our country parks and I really welcome the fact that officers are now looking to capitalise on those assets and increase tourism revenue."
Fellow ward councillor Tom Conn said: "I do welcome the approach broadening to include all the country parks I think we need to promote West Lothian as being open for 365 days of the year rather than just the Autumn and Winter so hopefully this is a signal to operators that it shouldn't just be the Autumn or Winter they should be thinking about."
A festive lights show was initiated in 2019 after an agreement between a Linlithgow based firm and the council. After the licence expired in 2023 the council was obliged to put out the licence to tender, with GCLL winning the bid.
The move caused controversy in some quarters in Linlithgow, with many active supporters for the local firm unhappy that it was not given an extension to its licence given that it had been unable to provide the event for much of its licence period because of the Covid pandemic lockdown.
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