Dozens of miniature Christmas trees will grace the streets of Otley this festive season if a scheme driven by one of the town’s businessmen takes off.

Alan Sowden, whose home Christmas lights have drawn admirers from around the country for a number of years, is hoping to achieve the same effect for Otley’s shops this winter.

Sightseers have flocked to Alan Sowden’s increasingly dazzling, fundraising festive displays at his home in Falcon Close.

Now plumber Mr Sowden is driving forward an Otley and District Chamber of Trade scheme that will see dozens of illuminated, mini Christmas trees installed above local businesses – using brackets that were put up some years ago.

The chamber is subsidising the cost of the initiative, which it hopes will attract more shoppers over the festive period, to the tune of £1,000 and is hoping for support from other businesses and the town council, too.

Mr Sowden, who runs his own plumbers merchants, said: “Responses to the idea have ranged from some businesses hailing it as a fantastic idea, and being really enthusiastic, to others wanting nothing to do with it.

“But the majority, without a doubt, are in favour of this and generally speaking the reaction has been brilliant. The town council has been very supportive too although we’re aware they already make a big contribution to the town’s Christmas lights.

“We’ve already had other businesses in town including some, who for one reason or other can’t have the trees, making fairly large donations in support of it and we’ve received about £600 so far.

“There will certainly be a substantial amount of trees going up in November, to tie in with the official Christmas lights switch-on.

“My personal target is to get 50 businesses to have a tree up this winter but I suspect we’ll get more, perhaps 60 or 70.

“We’re not asking businesses to part with a great deal of money, and the installation of the trees, lights and time-clocks, and their removal after Christmas, will all be done for them so it won’t be a lot of work.”

Mr Sowden only recently joined the chamber but soon found himself persuaded, due to his experience with festive lights, to join a new sub-committee dedicated to the project.

Chamber president Trevor Backhouse said: “The idea came from a few years ago when there were comments made about us not really having much in the way of Christmas lights.

“So we thought let’s try to address the issue, rather than complain about it. We’ve had a very positive reaction from traders and we’re getting quite a lot of sponsorship money in. The chamber is subsidising this quite heavily and we’re hopeful the town council might, too.”

Town council leader Councillor Jim Spencer said the question of making a financial contribution had still to be discussed, but he was happy to support the scheme in principle.

He said: “This sounds really good. I’ll have to wait and see how it looks but I have to say that the concept and the idea of trying to do something to attract more business is great.

“The chamber has a great energetic spirit at the moment so all power to their elbow, and let’s give this a go.

“The brackets they’re going to use have been just sitting there doing nothing for a few years, so it will be good to put them to use again and perhaps they could look at putting flags up on them for special days and holidays, too, in the summer.”