Christmas Lights in Ross-on-Wye Town Centre

The Ross‑on‑Wye Town Council seeks a qualified contractor to supply, install, maintain and remove a comprehensive Christmas lighting scheme that will illuminate the town centre from the annual switch‑on event until 6 January each year. The scheme will include LED icicle lights adorning existing cross‑street lighting, hedgehog‑motif frame lights on catenary wires, twelve column lights on Wilton Road, and seasonal illumination of the town Christmas tree in the Market Square and a second tree on Brookend Street, as well as icicle LED lighting on the Market House and three trees on Gloucester Road. All lights are currently stored and the contractor will arrange collection and, upon completion of the display, secure long‑term storage in a covered, insured location.

Installation must occur no later than seven days before the notified switch‑on date, while removal is required immediately following the cessation of the display on 6 January. Throughout the period the contractor will perform scheduled inspections to confirm operational integrity, provide 24‑hour call‑out service for major faults, and carry out annual safety testing of eye‑bolts, catenary wires, street‑lighting columns, LED strings, and power “black boxes”. Each test will be documented and certificates will be submitted to the Council, who will cover any replacement or repair costs. Upon completion the contractor must submit a brief report summarising any issues and recommending improvements for next year.

All installation, testing and maintenance activities shall be carried out by qualified personnel and in accordance with BS 8539, BS EN 40 and BS 7671 standards.

18 THE SCHEME IN BRIEF
18.1 Christmas lights decorate the town centre for the Christmas period extending from the switch on event to 6th January each year. The existing scheme comprises LED icicle cross street lights and hedgehog motif frame cross street lights attached to catenary wire installations in the town centre and 12 column lights along Wilton Road.
18.2 The erection and decoration of the lights on the town Christmas Tree in the Market Square and the Christmas Tree on Brookend Street and their removal in early January.
18.3 The Market House is also decorated with icicle LED lights and these will form part of the scheme.
18.4 Christmas lights on three trees on Gloucester Road.
19 COLLECTION
19.1 The lights are currently in storage and the Contractor shall arrange collection.
20 MAINTENANCE
20.1 Prior to installation, all eye bolts supporting catenary wires and catenary wires shall be inspected annually and this is to be carried out by a qualified contractor to test the condition of the support brackets and eyebolts to confirm that up to a maximum weight of 6kN can be supported on the wires. All testing must be compliant with BS8539. The Council must receive a copy of the eyebolt test certificate and will be responsible for payment for the replacement or repair of any eyebolts or catenary wires, but the testing costs should be included in this tender. Any work (which must be first authorised in writing by the Council), shall be carried out by a qualified contractor.
20.2 All street lighting columns that have Christmas lights attached need a Structural Test Certificate in place. All testing needs to be compliant with BSEN40.
20.2 All LED lights will be checked by a qualified contractor and PAT tested annually to ensure that they are fit for purpose. The Council must receive a copy of any test certificate and will be responsible for payment for the replacement or repair of any lights, but the testing should be included in this tender. Any work (which must be first authorised in writing by the Council), shall be carried out by a qualified contractor.
20.3 All 'black boxes' which provide power to the lights needs a valid EICR certificate. All testing must be compliant with BS7671. The Council must receive a copy of any EICR test certificate and will be responsible for payment for the replacement or repair of any boxes, but the testing should be included in this tender. Any work (which must be first authorised in writing by the Council), shall be carried out by a qualified contractor.
20.4 The lights must be maintained during the period they are on display. A scheduled inspection of the display is required to ensure everything is functioning correctly and to attend to any minor faults. In addition, a call out of no more than 24 hours is required for major faults including, but not limited to, complete failure of light string, Christmas tree light failure, damage caused through vandalism, storms or road traffic accidents. If there is a charge for call outs this must be stated in the quotation.
21 INSTALLATION
21.1 Installation of lights shall be carried out at a mutually agreed date prior to switch on event but it must be no later than one week (full 7 days) prior to the notified switch on date each year.
21.2 The Contractor must adhere to the relevant codes of practice and statutory regulations. In particular the erection, testing and maintenance of the installation must be carried out in accordance with the latest Wiring Regulations (BS 7671) determined by the IET and undertaken by a competent person as laid out in those regulations.
22 REMOVAL AND STORAGE
22.1 Lights will be switched off no later than 6th January each year.
22.2 Lights will be removed as soon as possible after and as close as possible to 6th January.
22.3 After removal the lights will be stored by the Contractor in a covered, secure location. The location to be notified to the Council and the appropriate insurance will be sought to cover loss or damage. A certificate of proof of insurance will be required.
22.4 The Contractor is required to give a short written statement after the completion of the annual display outlining any issues, the need for replacement lights and suggestions for improvements for the coming year.
Cross Lights Features in Town Centre:
Broad Street:
Nationwide - TGJones/WH Smith
James Dean - Dog's Trust
AtBroadStreet - Revolutions
Field Fayre - Hanks Meat & Game Ltd
Eagle Inn - 9 The Maltings
Gloucester Road:
Dominos - Property Hub
Sense - Coffee#1
High Street:
Gallery 54 - Space Inside
TBC
Thorne & Co - Corn Exchange
Aubrey & Co - Plates and Shakers
Boabab Tree - Scope
Brookend Street:
Yaks & Yetis - Architectural Store
Lucas Motorcycles - The Barrel
EnviroAbility - 18 Brookend Street
Copse Cross Street:
Sense - Tattoo Studio
Market House:
Lights to be fitted around the top and inside the arches
Christmas Tree:
Lights to be installed on the one at the Market House and the other at Brookend Street
Tree lights on Gloucester Road:
To be maintained on 3 trees
Column lights on Wilton Road:
To be installed on 12 approved columns

Ocid: ocds-h6vhtk-06901b
Contract location: UKG1
Communication: The original signed tender must be returned in a sealed envelope marked: Tender - Private & Confidential The Town Clerk Ross-on-Wye Town Council Town Hall Cantilupe Road Ross-on-Wye HR9 7AN Or sent electronically as a PDF file marked Private & Confidential to: tenders@rosstc-herefordshire.gov.uk
Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted: En
Enquiry deadline: 2026-05-29T14:00:00+01:00
Submission address and any special instructions: The original signed tender must be returned in a sealed envelope marked: Tender - Private & Confidential The Town Clerk Ross-on-Wye Town Council Town Hall Cantilupe Road Ross-on-Wye HR9 7AN Or sent electronically as a PDF file marked Private & Confidential to: tenders@rosstc-herefordshire.gov.uk
Tenders may be submitted electronically: notAllowed

Lot number: 1
Lot value (estimated)
30.000,00 GBP excluding VAT
36.000,00 GBP including VAT

Award criteria:

Name	Type	Weighting
Service Delivery	quality	40%
Experience	quality	30%
Cost/Value for Money	price	30%