A community group feel “rebuffed” by Aberystwyth Town Council after Penparcau’s Christmas tree was moved at the last minute.

For the past few years the Penparcau Christmas tree has been donated to Penparcau Community Forum by Aberystwyth Town Council. However, this year it was moved over the road to Neuadd Goffa at the last minute.

Council clerk Gweneira Raw Rees said this was due to an extension that had been built on the site of the tree last year causing “access issues”.

Local conversations officer for the Forum, Clare Jackson, said the “lack of communication” meant the Forum only found out about the change of plan on Sunday, 29 November, when they saw men digging a hole for the tree on the green.

Tir Coed has now donated a tree to Penparcau Forum.

Ms Jackson said: “We are frustrated that we haven’t been given the Christmas tree at the hub. We will sort our own because another charity has stepped in, Tir Coed, and donated a 12 foot Christmas tree, which will go in its rightful place by the stable.

“Due to the lack of communication we did not have the Christmas tree in time for our Christmas lights switch-on.

“We are very happy that Penparcau has a tree, but if we had more communication we would have been able to organise another one for the hub sooner.”

The town council has put battery-powered lights on the existing trees on the green, however Ms Jackson said they have been left in the dark about whether the town council will be putting up Christmas lights throughout the village.

But Ms Raw Rees said: “Most of the lights are in the town centre to make it attractive to shoppers and to support our businesses – it has been a horrendous year for them.”

Ms Jackson said: “It is controversial that Aberystwyth Town Council are focusing on businesses and people coming to town when we’ve got the biggest ward with one in four children in poverty.

“I know the spend allocation for Penparcau does not warrant one tree and 12 sets of battery lights.”

Light Em Up, an Aberystwyth-based lighting company, has lit up the Forum’s garden at a charitable rate.

Joe Wilcox, owner of Light Em Up, said: “Light Em Up thrives on building good relations with the local community and helping out Penparcau Hub seemed like a must.

“With the events industry being pretty much dried up for work at the moment, when I was approached by them to light up the garden I felt the need to take the project on. Creativity, colour and light is definitely something people need in these dark and gloomy times.”