Kingston town centre bosses are rethinking plans for next year’s Christmas light switch on, after last month’s success pushed the town to “saturation point”.
An estimated 80,000 visitors crowded into the town centre to see Father Christmas switch on the town’s lights, and the Bentall Centre recorded a 28.5 per cent rise in people coming to see Darth Vader and stormtroopers turn on its illuminations.
Although all the streets designated as exit points for the visitors remained clear throughout the afternoon and evening, a review of CCTV footage and footfall counters suggested the area could not handle a future increase in the number of revellers.
Town centre manager Graham McNally said: “We just got to the point where the number of people here was reaching saturation point. We can see there is no more capacity for growth. The number of people attending has grown to the point that we need to review it again.
“We have identified the challenge. We need to review it next year. We cannot just have larger crowds coming.”
The annual event had grown from Father Christmas riding along Clarence Street to a bigger event requiring barriers, but even these had to be removed after getting in the way of swelling annual crowds.
Mr McNally said spreading attractions around the town centre, including the Market Place, Eden Walk and All Saints Parish Church had worked for five years, but more attractions may need to be relocated next winter.
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