COUNCIL leaders were last night branded Scrooges for proposing to axe future funding for civic Christmas trees.

Labour's budget proposals, now out to public consultation, suggest saving about £25,000 over the next two financial years by slashing spending on nine Christmas trees at city and town centres and other key sites, and instead seek private sponsorship to pay for them.

Council leader David Green staunchly defended the measure and stressed the authority would work with communities to ensure other funding would be found to pay for the trees.

But the plan has provoked fierce criticism from Conservative and Liberal Democrats politicians with one councillor condemning it as "churlish".

Councillor Rebecca Poulsen (Con, Worth Valley) said: "I've investigated this and understand the sum to be about £20,000 and for such a relatively small amount it just seems completely churlish and that the Council has turned into Scrooge.

"Surely we can look into getting a better deal regarding the cost of trees - maybe buy them together with another council? There must be options other than getting rid of the symbol of Christmas.

"They are talking of stopping funding nine trees, including the one at the bottom of Haworth Main Street - which is one of the most festive streets in the whole district.

"So many people come to the village for the traditional Victorian-style Christmas experience. Do they now want illuminated advertising signs on that tree?"

Trees proposed for the chop are in those sited at Centenary Square, Bradford; at the junction of Bank Street and Broadway, Bradford, and between the Midland Hotel and Forster Square station in Bradford; at the junction of Sun Street and Rawson Road in Haworth; Church Green in Keighley; Market Square, Bingley; Brook Street, Ilkley; Westfield Lane, Wyke, and Sandbeds, Queensbury.

Liberal Democrat group leader, Cllr Jeanette Sunderland, said: "The question that needs to be asked is if the Council is just pulling out of Christmas? What about paying for the lights for Eid and Diwali?"

Keighley Conservative MP Kris Hopkins said there appeared to be a concerted effort made by Labour-controlled Bradford Council to alienate every single citizen in Keighley and Ilkley.

"And if that is indeed the case, then the strategy is working. The Council has done little enough to support my constituents this Christmas and now they’re threatening to spoil next year’s festivities too,"

Shipley Conservative MP Philip Davies added: "This will save a negligible amount of money in the scheme of things and is typical of the Labour-controlled Bradford Council.

"If they spent more effort getting residents in City ward to pay their council tax at the same levels as every other ward in the district they wouldn't have to make these Scrooge-like gestures."

Cllr Green said there was originally no budget for Christmas trees this year, but that he had personally reinstated funding as a "one-off".

And he said Cllr Poulsen should be concerned with bigger issues.

"We are facing £50 million in cuts imposed by her Government and all she can talk about is Christmas trees? She needs to get her priorities right," he said.

"If this is the subject she's picked upon, it throws into perspective her priorities."

Cllr Green also stressed that public opinion would be listened to during the public consultation.

Bradford's Green Party leader Martin Love said he had no objection to the plan.

"I wouldn't have any problem with having sponsorship for trees so long as it was reasonable and tasteful

"I'm sure there would be a lot of traders and businesses who would be interested," he said.