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Floral displays scaled back after council cuts

BBC Two volunteers holding flowers for the towns' displaysBBC
Burnham and Highbridge Town Council have stepped in to maintain the flower beds

Floral displays in two towns are being scaled back due to a council's financial constraints.

Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge's flower beds were funded by Somerset Council but due to cutbacks they will now be planted by volunteers and funded by the local town council.

Lesley Millard, Burnham and Highbridge's town mayor said: "It was a shock, but we're trying to turn it into something positive within the community."

Somerset Council said they have to make "difficult decisions" to make savings and they "simply cannot afford" the planting and watering of floral displays.

image of people planting flowers
Planting the donated flowers is already underway in Highbridge

First reported by Burnham-on-Sea.com, the local council were at first in 'shock' at the news.

Ms Millard continued: "Luckily, we're in a good position to respond to it. It's an opportunity to work together as a community.

"Over the past year we'd already been working with Somerset Council looking at sustainable planting, so this is an opportunity for us to make sure that happens."

Burnham councillor Sharon Perry added: "The flowers look fantastic, we've been very lucky.

"You can see from people walking past how much joy they're bringing everybody."

One person walking along the seafront gave their reaction to BBC Radio Somerset: "Terrible, it makes Burnham a little bland and a bit of colour would be really nice.

"I know things are tight financially, but it brightens things up."

The seafront at Burnham
The current seafront planters will be getting replanted by volunteers

Somerset Council said in a statement: "In order to set a balanced budget for 2024/25 and bridge a funding gap of £100m we have had to take some difficult decisions and make savings by reviewing non-statutory services that we greatly value but simply cannot afford, including planting and watering of floral displays."

The council thanked Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge Town Council and the Burnham Growing group for their plans to keep the displays going.

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