Hamlet Court Road is set to be decked out in bright festive lights for the first time in five years thanks to the campaigning work of a community group.

Following a lengthy fundraising effort by Westcliff community group, Hamlet Court Calling, the road’s 28 streetlights will be decked out in battery-powered Christmas lights this festive season.

The lights will be installed and switched on on November 21 and will stay up until early January, with the group also organising a “festive Friday” on November 22.

The event will encourage businesses to decorate their shopfronts and help get the road into the festive spirit on the first full day of the lights returning to the road.

Andy Atkinson, Milton Society chair and member of Hamlet Court Calling, is happy to see the success of the campaign, which has so far raised £1,429.

He said: “It is really excellent, and we are thrilled to have achieved this, it has involved an awful amount of hard work and it has been technically quite difficulty to achieve this.

“The plan started around early summer when we were beginning talks with the council, as our group got formed properly in the spring, it was one of the first things we were looking at.

“We have ended up with an environmentally friendly solution with battery operated lights, that doesn’t affect the infrastructure of the lampposts.”

The additional festive Friday event will be an “opportunity for the road to celebrate” the return of the lights and as such, businesses are encouraged to do late hours openings and their own Christmas celebrations.

Hamlet Court Calling was able to secure the return of the lights thanks to a company supplying them and thanks to several larger private donations that have allowed them to fund the initiative.

Andy added: “This is the beginning, we will get more recognition for our road.

“This can only get bigger from here, the publicity is triggering more donations and they are so welcome.

“We have achieved this project but we have had to use our own resources and we are open to more.”

To donate, justgiving.com/crowdfunding/Light-Up-Hamlet-Court-Road