Volunteer gardeners are pleading for no more flowers in their seaside town because they say they’ll end up having to look after them.
Green-fingered locals say there isn’t enough money to maintain more planting despite a £6.1million Sustainable Travel Network project in Penzance, Cornwall.
The town hall wants to “transform” travel in and around Penzance, to create a network of paths and green spaces.
Bus stops would also be filled with raised beds full of flowers as a way to enhance the main street through the town, according to Cornwall Live.
Penzance Town Fund’s team said if public consultation feedback is positive, detailed designs will be submitted and work will start in Market Jew Street as soon as 2025.
But the Penzance Community Flora Group object to the planters, arguing they will be the ones to look after everything else around the town.
In a post on its Facebook page, the group said: “We’ve had to do a very difficult thing and we think you should know why.
“We’ve registered an objection to the public consultation on the plans for Alverton and Market Jew Street. Not because we don’t think more green spaces are a good thing, quite the reverse in fact.
“It’s because these plans propose to install more planted spaces that there is no public budget to maintain.”
Penzance Community Flora Group said the plans “talk” about putting in plants that don’t need much maintenance, but claimed it doesn’t mean no work will be needed.
The Facebook post added a similar measure in Wharf Road wasn’t maintained and became a space group members were “all ashamed of”.
It said: “We don’t need more of that right in the centre of the town. We’ve gone over the detail of the proposed planting scheme and while we agree they’d look great for a year (which they really would) they’d look pretty rubbish forever afterwards.
“Our group just can’t take on any more work than we’re currently doing.”
The decision received support from locals, many of whom fear the proposed new planters will look terrible after a few months and would be a waste of money.
Julian Rowe, commenting on the post, said: “The whole plan is doomed to failure. Camborne, the town we laugh at, has a busy high street with lots of on-street parking for everyone. Their town centre is thriving.
“The proposed plans for Penzance will kill the town centre, every person I have spoken to says exactly the same thing.”
Jessica Pickles added: “Yes, all very well creating lovely spaces but the ongoing maintenance needs to be considered and you all should not be taken for granted which perhaps is what has happened.
“Penzance is looking so nice due to your groups very unsung hard and dedicated work. They’ve perhaps forgotten who is actually doing that.”
Jutta Brown agreed: “A very valid point. It all looks good on paper but has not been thought through after completion.
“Same goes for the bus shelters. They look nice but have been designed by someone who never uses a bus. They offer no shelter from rain at all. They are too narrow to get shelter from the rain.”
Penzance Town Fund has been contacted for comment.
