PLANS are already being drawn up to make 2005's Christmas festivities in York bigger and brighter.

Business leaders and council representatives have begun meeting in an effort to prevent a repeat of this year's frantic appeal for cash to pay for the city centre's illuminations.

City of York Council has also sent "spies" to visit Lincoln's Christmas market to pick up any ideas that could be transferred to York.

Officers felt that the quality of the market was "poor" with few traditional stallholders, but excelled in areas such as steward presence and police involvement.

The York Business Pride Christmas sub-committee will meet once a month and hope to have next year's festivities wrapped up by September.

Chairman David Cox, who owns Miniature Scene, in Fossgate, said the main priorities were to secure funding for better illuminations, improve the St Nicholas Fayre and to find sponsors willing to put on a Santa's Grotto.

"We want to avoid this year's funding crisis, but we also feel that there is a lot more that York can offer its citizens and visitors at Christmas," he said.

"We will be targeting better lights, as there have been a number of complaints about them not being bright enough and several streets without them."

Mr Cox revealed committee members hoped to stage a Children's Fayre in the run-up to Christmas next year, with stalls selling traditional toys, sweets and chocolates, and attractions like an ice-rink, fairground, reindeer rides and a visit from Santa Claus This year's city centre illuminations were only made possible after a generous gesture from Nestl Rowntree which agreed to stump up the full £30,000 cost after being approached by the Evening Press.

A spokesman for City of York Council said: "The council is working with the business community in creating a range of activities, including Christmas lights and other Christmas-related items."

Updated: 09:43 Tuesday, December 28, 2004