A HOUSING estate shared between council tenants and private buyers was so divided over whether festive lights should be allowed on its balconies that the council helped organise a vote of residents, dubbed locally “a referendum on Christmas”.

And the week-long “Yes or No” ballot of residents on the newly-built Chester Balmore estate concluded with a convincing mandate – for them to enter into the Christmas spirit and hang fairy lights.

The tenants and residents’ association (TRA) sent leaflets to all 53 homes on the estate. Twenty-seven responded, with only seven voting against allowing Christmas lights.

The ballot follows a controversial move last December in which Town Hall officials intervened and forced a grandmother to remove a string of LED lights from her balcony – which she had hung as part of her attempt to create a “special British Christmas” for her two grandchildren who were visiting from their native Brazil. 

Last year’s Christmas lights saga is just one of a handful of occasions in which tenants on the pioneering estate – which is roughly half council tenants and half private leaseholders – have breached strict tenancy agreements controlling how they look after their homes. 

Janet Sparks, who was forced to remove her lights last year, said: “I’m really pleased. I’ll definitely be putting the lights up again this year, now I’m allowed to. It’s nice the way the community has come together and all stood by me. I was the only one with lights out last year, but hopefully other people will this year and it will give the place a bit of Christmas spirit.”

Simone Lewis, a member of the TRA who organised the vote, said: “It doesn’t affect me, because I don’t have a balcony, but it’s nice that the people who do now have the option. I took on doing the leafleting for the vote because I thought it was unfair last year when Janet was told to remove her lights.”

Green councillor Sian Berry said: “I think it’s very good news. It’s taking things too far to completely ban Christmas lights from people’s homes. It did seem rather officious last year and I think asking the residents is a good step.”

Letters are being sent to all Chester Balmore residents today (Thursday), informing them that they can hang, but not affix, lights to their balcony from Friday until January 6. 

Tenants on the estate have repeatedly complained about the “sterile” environment created by the strict rules, which have led to people being issued warnings over brooms and children's bicycles on balconies, muddy boots on doorsteps and small house number signs next to front doors.