Alderman Knight-McQuillan queries 'hefty' cost of Halloween events in Causeway Coast and Glens Borough
A Causeway Coast and Glens councillor says the local authority must do more to avoid the “hefty” cost of running Halloween events in the borough.
At this month’s Leisure and Development Committee meeting on Tuesday, members were given an update on the Council Managed Tourism Events Programme for 2025/26.
DUP Alderman Michelle Knight-McQuillan highlighted the council’s plans for four Halloween events in Ballycastle, Ballymoney, Coleraine and Limavady, with a proposed total cost of £84,438.
“That’s a fairly hefty sum of money,” she said. “Has that increased from last year?” An officer confirmed that costs had increased by around £3,000 from last year.
They said: “For an event like that you can estimate for health and safety, traffic management, and policing and stewarding, and approximately 32% of the costs will be attributed to those elements.
“The scrutiny put on the council event team is higher than any other event provider in the country. Councils will be very heavily scrutinised by all sectors, and therefore we have to put in place those measures.”
Ald Knight-McQuillan replied: “I appreciate and know the cost of event management is colossal and health and safety is paramount in those events, but comparing Halloween to Christmas, Halloween is costing nearly £20,000 more.
“It just seems a huge amount and perhaps that’s the cost of fireworks these days, but maybe we should be looking at a more, safety conscious, environmentally friendly alternatives like drone shows or something like that.”
The officer agreed that fireworks were the reason for the “big jump in the budget in terms of the animation”, but argued that Halloween was “synonymous with fireworks and people are going to want to see them”.
“We answer to the demand and to what the elected members want us to deliver across the borough,” they said, “and that is reflected and the cost of the budget that we apply to it.
“Drone provision would be an alternative but to do something that has that “wow” factor you’re talking between £16,000 and £26,000 for something half decent, assuming you can get a suitable drone operator in to do it.
“We will always be looking for alternatives, we’re happy to take take any suggestions on board, and we’re definitely open to suggestions.”