Seven Kings peace dove may not return at Christmas under new festive lights rules

Lizzie Dearden

Published: 11:17 AM May 21, 2013 Updated: 8:40 AM October 13, 2020

Festive lights on in Seven Kings a giant peace dove and lights with symbols representing the world religions outside the station. - Credit: Archant

The Seven Kings peace dove that lit up the High Road through the winter for multi-faith festivals may not be returning to its perch this Christmas.

Redbridge Council’s area five committee spent £11,130 on the specially commissioned decorations, which included the dove mounted on a 10ft pole and religious symbols.

The unusual display was put into storage after coming down in January, with the intention of using it again at a lower cost.

It was switched on in October for Eid-Ul-Adha and continued through festivals including the birthday of Guru Nanak Dev sahib, Christmas and Hanukkah.

But the council is now creating a central festive lighting fund for Redbridge to reduce spending and make the process more efficient than the “ad hoc” applications previously put in for different areas.

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The decorations will have to come from the same supplier – meaning that if the company behind the peace dove is not chosen, it cannot be used.

At a committee meeting on Monday at Barley Lane Primary School, in Huxley Drive, Goodmayes, Cllr Balvinder Saund said: “We don’t want the central council telling us what we can and can’t have.”