Are THESE Britain’s saddest Christmas trees? Locals mock threadbare spruces popping up in towns across the UK as council’s cut back to save cash – and the BBC’s is branded ‘stark’

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Councils in the UK have sparked outrage after erecting some of the saddest looking Christmas trees so far this year – while even the BBC’s has been branded as ‘stark’. 

Residents have reacted in fury over a ‘shocking’ Christmas tree that has been put up in Hattersley in Hyde, with pictures showing the threadbare spruce missing some of its boughs, while the ones remaining appear very thin.

Elsewhere, locals have blasted ‘Scrooge’ Walsall Council for its ‘Shabby’ Christmas Tree near to St Paul’s Bus Station, which has had barely any lights put on it in a bid to save cash. 

The BBC has also come under fire for its own Christmas tree outside its Broadcasting House in Portland Place in London. 

Employees of the broadcaster criticised the tree, calling it a ‘bit stark’, while another  joked that ‘very very little time or licence fee money was spent’ on the spruce which is noticeably different in comparison to previous years. 

Residents have reacted in fury over a ‘shocking’ Christmas tree that has been put up in Hattersley in Hyde, with pictures showing the threadbare spruce missing some of its boughs, while the ones remaining appear very thin

Elsewhere, locals have blasted ‘Scrooge’ Walsall Council for its ‘Shabby’ Christmas Tree near to St Paul’s Bus Station, which has had barely any lights put on it in a bid to save cash  

The BBC has also come under fire for its own Christmas tree outside its Broadcasting House in Portland Place in London, which some have called a ‘bit bare’ 

The BBC’s conifer has this year left people unimpressed as it appeared to be smaller and less well decorated than it has in previous years. 

BBC employees took to X, formerly Twitter to poke fun at the tree, which has only recently been put up. 

READ MORE: Is this Britain’s wonkiest Christmas tree? Town’s 30ft tall festive showpiece is slammed by locals as ’embarrassing’ and compared to the Leaning Tower of Pisa

Television Director Leigh Butcher said: ‘Can confirm that very very little time or licence fee money was spent on the Broadcasting House tree this year.’

Fellow Television Director Rob Jones claimed it’s ‘impactful from a distance’, while former BBC journalist Robert Rea admitted it was a ‘bit bare’. 

The BBC’s Christmas tree is a seasonal staple at the company’s Broadcasting House in Portland Place in London. 

The broadcaster also sparked controversy in 2019 after it chopped up and carted away its Christmas tree amid bizarre claims it could have posed a ‘security risk’ during its General Election coverage.

It came only a week after the impressive conifer was put up near the main entrance to the London building and decorated with red and gold baubles.

The ‘brutal’ removal baffled BBC employees at the time with several posting photos on X, formerly Twitter, of the tree as its remains were put in bags, loaded on to a truck and taken away by men in hard hats and high-vis jackets.

Staff were also left wondering exactly what risk the tree posed and questioning why it had to be cut up rather than moved elsewhere or donated to somebody else.

A BBC spokesman said at the time: ‘The tree has been removed due to activity on the piazza this week and will be replaced soon.’

BBC employees have poked fun at the size of the tree on X, formerly Twitter.

The broadcaster also sparked controversy in 2019, after it chopped up and carted away its Christmas tree amid bizarre claims it could have posed a ‘security risk’ during its General Election coverage. Pictured BBC’s Christmas tree from 2019

It came only a week after the impressive conifer was put up near the main entrance to the London building and decorated with red and gold baubles

The ‘brutal’ removal baffled BBC employees with several posting photos on X, formerly Twitter as it was called at the time, of the tree as its remains were put in bags, loaded on to a truck and taken away by men in hard hats and high-vis jackets

Staff were also left wondering exactly what risk the tree posed and questioning why it had to be cut up rather than moved elsewhere or donated to somebody else

Meanwhile, a 30ft high Christmas tree which has been erected in Walsall town centre has angered residents, local politicians and business leaders for its ‘shabby’ appearance. 

The council announced it was trying to make a ‘number of savings’ after identifying a potential overspend of £18million next year. It has refused to fund a Christmas lights switch-on event for the town in another cost-cutting measure. 

Councillor Matt Ward, who represents Darlaston South, said: ‘It’s absolutely unbelievable.

‘Whilst other towns have light switch-ons which draw hundreds of people into the town, Walsall gets a tree that looks like it’s been dragged around the town and the lights just thrown on.

‘There is no festive cheer, as the council are planning on withdrawing Christmas light funding with a commitment from a contractor to pay for just one year.

‘Shabby trees isn’t quite the festive spirit Walsall residents deserve.

‘This doesn’t exactly give you a reason to come to Walsall to do your Christmas shopping.’

Chef Carl Hooshand, 53, from Walsall, added: ‘It looks like a monstrosity. It’s better than nothing but I’ve got conifers in my garden shaped better than that.

‘When I first saw it I thought to myself ‘is that it? I know everyone’s cutting back but come on, the council can surely do better than that.

‘Loads of parents walk their kids past it, it’s a shame for the children not to have the chance to enjoy a properly decorated tree.’

Mum-of-two Jenny Howell, from Willenhall, said: ‘I’d actually prefer no tree than that. 

‘You can barely see any of the lights. It just looks sad. It can’t save the council that much money to cut the lights. It just looks cr**.’

A 30ft high Christmas tree which has been erected in Walsall town centre has angered residents, local politicians and business leaders for its ‘shabby’ appearance

Chef Carl Hooshand, 53, from Walsall, said the tree looks like a monstrosity

Mum-of-two Jenny Howell, from Willenhall, added that she would ‘actually prefer no tree’ than the one that has been put up in the town centre

Furious residents also took to social media to vent their frustration at the ‘half dead’ tree. One said: ‘I’m sick of these cheapskate councillors. Give us a proper flipping tree with LIGHTS!’ 

Another remarked: ‘Only in Walsall can you put a Christmas tree up and make the town look even worse. I’ve seen better on bonfires!’

The council say officials will be carrying out ‘quality checks’ on the tree in the coming days. It has already sent six workers to try to neaten up the tree. 

Town hall chiefs are also planning to cut its overall Christmas lights budget next year to save £40,000. Officials hope the lights will be provided by private companies and through sponsorship instead. 

A Walsall Council spokesperson said: ‘Christmas lights and a mix of permanent and cut trees have been installed and decorated across the borough in readiness for the festive season.

‘The trees provided have been selected to offer consistency previous years and final quality checks are taking place in the coming days.

‘The council does not routinely organise switch-on events and has not done so for a number of years.

‘However, we do endeavour to support community events by timetabling installations and connections around specific dates and times when asked to do so.

‘The council is looking at a number of savings proposals in advance of final budget decisions early next year.

‘These proposals include exploring the opportunity to secure corporate sponsorship of the borough’s Christmas lights, something that has worked well this year to mitigate the impact of increasing costs.

‘At this stage, no decision has been made about the future funding of Christmas lights.’

The council has already sent six workers (pictured) to try to neaten up the tree

It added that officials will be carrying out ‘quality checks’ on the tree in the coming days

One worker tries to neaten up one of the boughs of the Walsall Christmas tree after it was called ‘shabby’ by outraged locals 

Elsewhere, the poor state of a Christmas tree in Hattersley has prompted severe criticism from residents when they noticed workmen had decorated it in lights and put barriers around it on Monday morning in time for Friday’s lights ‘switch-on’.

The ‘living tree’ was planted outside The Hub, a community centre on Stockport Road, a few years ago, but the threadbare spruce hasn’t thrived. 

Now, following the festive furore, council officials have promised to provide a ‘cut tree’ in time for the switch on and replace the ‘living tree’.

Lawrence McDermott, 60, from Tameside, is a local resident and has been walking along the path where the tree is planted for years – he says it is ‘a joke’.

Jess Walker, 35, assistant manager of Mottram Wood pub on the other side of Stockport Road, couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw the tree on Monday morning.

She told the Manchester Evening News: ‘It’s shocking. I run the pub opposite and we do lights and Santa grottos, everything. 

‘The only thing we don’t do is a big Christmas tree because we don’t have the staff to police something like that.

‘I couldn’t believe it when I saw it. It has a sign saying there’s a big lights switch-on on December 1. Are they joking? What are they going to be switching on?’

The mother-of-two, whose mother Yvonne Myler is landlady of the Mottram Wood, and who lives in Hattersley, added: ‘I’m not bringing my children to the switch-on of a twig of a Christmas tree. 

‘Kids wants to see something that makes them think ‘wow!’ don’t they? The kids on this estate don’t have much but we see they have lovely displays in Ashton and Hyde. We can’t turn that on for the kids of Hattersley. It’s shocking.

‘I can get an 8ft tree down the road for £55. That’s a proper bushy tree. What we’ve got I think is just appalling. It’s just embarrassing. It makes us think they don’t care about the estate at all.

‘We have a bad reputation as it is and it just shows that they are not bothered.’

The poor state of a Christmas tree in Hattersley has prompted severe criticism from residents

They noticed workmen had decorated it in lights and put barriers around it on Monday morning in time for the town’s Christmas lights ‘switch-on’

Lawrence McDermott (pictured), 60, from Tameside, is a local resident and has been walking along the path where the tree is planted for years – he says it is ‘a joke’

The ‘living tree’ was planted outside The Hub, a community centre on Stockport Road, a few years ago, but the threadbare spruce hasn’t thrived

The bare trunk of the Christmas tree can be seen with lights decorated around it for Firday’s Christmas lights ‘switch-on’

After Jess lodged a formal a formal complaint, officials have now promised a ‘cut tree’ for Friday’s lights switch-on.

Responding to Jess’s complaint on the Hattersley Community Group Facebook page, Councillor Jacqueline Owen said she had spoken to officials who had ‘agreed to replace the planted one’. 

The councillor added: ‘We’ve tried to grow a sustainable tree, sadly unsuccessfully. To be clear there isn’t a budget for the Xmas event in Hattersley. 

‘The councillors with community groups work together to provide a Christmas market, Santa’s grotto, entertainment and food for the community. We are all happy to work with any interested parties to make it a better event.’

Jess said: ‘I don’t believe there was ever any intention to put up a new tree. This has only happened because we as a community have come together to speak up about it.’

A Tameside Council spokesperson told the Manchester Evening News: ‘It’s a living tree that has been in place for a few years. 

‘A cut tree will be supplied for the Hattersley Christmas Lights switch on before it takes place on Friday (1 Dec) from 4 to 8pm.

‘We are seeking sponsorship to replace the living tree and will seek a different species to help it thrive in this location.’

The £4m building was officially opened in May 2013 by Stalybridge and Hyde MP Jonathan Reynolds – 50 years to the day that the first residents moved to Hattersley.

The estate was built by Manchester council from 1962 to provide homes to residents displaced by a major housing clearance programme. Ex-Corrie star Julie Hesmondhalgh was a special guest at the official opening.

In 2015 a Christmas tree in Stockport was dubbed ‘the worst in Britain’.

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