SIDMOUTH will get extra festive sparkle for its cash this Christmas after teaming up with Exmouth to strike a new deal over festive lights.

Civic leaders in both towns have opted to pool their resources and sign a three-year contract worth a combined £63,000 for their respective displays.

Sidmouth Town Council voted to spend its £9,000 annual budget with a new contractor, Gala Lights Ltd, and hopes to get more for its money as a result of the new partnership.

The news means this Christmas will be the first in 16 years that Sidmouth’s yuletide illuminations are not provided by a firm based in Torbay.

“We will get our own lights and we’ll get a lot more for our money,” said Sidmouth town clerk Christopher Holland. We should have a better quality of service. It will be a different scheme but a quality scheme. ”

Mr Holland said that councillors stipulated that, unlike previous years, the lights will not be erected until after Remembrance Day on November 11.

The town’s switch-on will take place on November 15 at 5.30pm.

Exmouth town clerk Colin Poole said: “It’s good news and now we have a good price we will be sitting down with Gala Lights to agree on what lights we want and the fittings.”

The town has £12,000 to spend on lights a year.

Sidmouth councillors decided behind closed doors last Monday to award the new joint Christmas lights contract to Gala Lights Ltd for three years.