Hanging baskets fate causes furore among opposition councillors

PLANS to create more environmentally-friendly planting schemes in Salisbury have been approved – which could see the end of the city’s hanging baskets.

On 3 July, members of Salisbury City Council’s Environment and Climate Committee considered a report detailing steps that could be taken to improve the environmental impact of displays in the city, as well as cutting costs.

Among the ideas recommended for consideration were the installation of ‘parklets’ – small, plant-rich seating areas – and replacing traditional hanging baskets with more biodiverse ‘living pillars’.

The moves are aimed at cutting the council’s current bill of around £30,000 per year to maintain floral displays, including the Gilbert the dragon display, which the report said has ‘reached the end of its life span’.

“Salisbury City Council declared a Climate Change Emergency in 2019 and is committed to making Salisbury as carbon neutral as possible by 2030,” the report said.

“Colourful displays adorn central Salisbury every summer, bringing colour and a sense of fun to the city centre as well as an expression of civic pride.

“However, these displays are increasingly demanding in terms of costs and other resources as the summer becomes increasingly dryer and hotter, as the climate continues to change.

“For example, approximately 30,000 litres of water was used on Gilbert last year, at an estimated cost of £700. Gilbert’s frame has reached the end of its life span, with much of the internal watering pipework now failing.”

New displays could see the council increase biodiversity in the city, it went on. “These traditional displays also offer little in terms of increasing biodiversity,” it said.

“The need to consider sustainability and biodiversity is increasingly pressing. It is time for a more forward-looking approach that is more sympathetic to the environmental challenges the country is facing, and that embraces change and considers alternative approaches.

“Rethinking and/or reimagining the current approach offers some exciting new opportunities to deliver a better and more integrated approach.”

Costs ‘are escalating’, councillors were told, due to global events, supply issues and environmental pressures, with changes to planting displays helping cut spending.

“For example, the use of drought resistant and lower maintenance planting mixes could significantly reduce maintenance/watering costs throughout the year,” it said.

“The creation of larger planted spaces, as opposed to smaller planted containers/ hanging baskets/troughs would help to reduce production costs, waste materials and energy required to sustain this traditional approach.”

Proposals detailed in the report included creating a parklet on the Market/Guildhall Square, as well as replacing hanging baskets with living pillars, which offer ‘more benefits to wildlife and require less watering’.

However, the plans have been met with some criticism. Leader of the Conservative

Top, clockwise: Eleanor Wills, Conservative opposition leader of Salisbury City Council is unhappy with the proposals; Gilbert the Dragon; an example of a living pillar (Liverpool LLC) opposition on the council, Cllr Eleanor Wills (Con, Harnham West), called the proposals ‘virtue signalling’, ‘ideological nonsense’ and branded the council administration a ‘left-wing cabal’.

After the meeting, she said: “(The hanging baskets) are all going to become parklets and sustainable tree planters. We think it is incredibly unfortunate for a historic city with medieval routes, this is absolutely the wrong decision by the administration and we’ve had enough.”

Councillors voted to pass the recommendations.

Salisbury City Council signs up to civility pledge

SALISBURY City Council councillors are putting civility and respect at the top of their agenda.

There are growing concerns among local authorities about the impact of bullying, harassment and intimidation on town and parish councils, councillors and staff.

For this reason, the National Association of Local Councils and the Society of Local Council Clerks have drawn up a Civility & Respect Pledge, and councillors at Monday’s full council meeting agreed to sign up to it.

At the same meeting, the council approved a new Code of Conduct for Councillors, based on a model code drawn up by the Local Government Association, and designed “to protect our democratic role, encourage good conduct and safeguard the public’s trust in local government”.

Independent Cllr Annie Riddle, a leader of the council, said: “There is no excuse for poor behaviour, bullying or rudeness in public life. We are committed to standing up for civilised values, and the code makes it clear what that involves.”

Further details can be here: https://salisburycitycouncil.gov. uk/our-council/about-yourcouncil/

Stars On View At Stonehenge

The World Heritage site had some stellar visitors on 6 July when film producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall were snapped in front of the ancient stones.

The pair’s latest film Indiana Jones and the Dial Of Destiny was released last month.