Douglas councillors say the corporation would do a better job of installing lights on the promenade than the government.

Only a handful of the new lights, which are replacing the former festoon lighting, have been installed at the Strathallan end of the capital’s promenade so far.

Councillor Ritchie McNicholl was responding to a council debate over environmentally-friendly LED lighting across the borough.

He and council leader David Christian praised the new lights for the impact they will have when the promenade scheme is finally completed.

Mr McNicholl said that councillors who doubted the effectiveness of LED lighting in Douglas have ’got to see the full effect of these lights on the prom’ but complained about how far behind the lighting scheme is.

He added: ’It is not our fault that the Department of Infrastructure are that far behind. They seem to be focusing on horse trams rather than lighting. If we’d been doing it, we’d be at the Palace [Hotel on Central Promenade] by now but we struck a deal so we would buy them and they would install them.’

Mr Christian added that the installation was ’out of our control’ and he blamed the DoI and lead contractor Auldyn for the delay.

Mr McNicholl said that the new lights would be a ’vast improvement’ for safety on the promenade.

The new LED lights require columns on only one side of the prom. They emit light in such a way that it lights both sides of the road as well as the walkway on the sea wall. ’The former lights left dark spots in the middle of the road. These new lights cover both sides up to the lower levels of buildings on the land side of the road,’ Mr McNicholl added.

Councillor Raina Chatel said she agreed that the lights would improve safety but added that she wants to see ’some decoration’ in the lighting.

She added: ’The new lights are awful. This is supposed to be a Victorian promenade.’

Mr McNicholl responded: ’It is a Victorian promenade, but it won’t have Victorian lights. If it did, you wouldn’t see them. This is an advancement in public lighting.’