MELKSHAM Town Council has changed its mind about plans for £12,000 lights to illuminate the town hall after being challenged by a local lighting expert.

The council planned to install the lights in the pavement in front of the town hall as part of improvements to Melksham Market Place.

But the plans are on hold after Paul Weymouth, the owner of Light Fantastic, which organises Melksham Christmas lights, challenged the idea, saying it was poorly thought out and too expensive.

Mr Weymouth said: “The major issue was that the plan Wiltshire Council experts had done would not have worked.

“What they were getting would not have given them what they wanted and they would not have got value for money.”

Town clerk Steve Gray said: “Paul has come in and told us there is another way around this. He has said that if we were to install the lights it would cause shadows due to the architecture of the building.”