Town of flowers may ditch blooms for bike track

Dozens of flowers which floral judges from In Bloom see when they visit Shrewsbury could be removed from one of the main routes into the town to make way for a cycle path.

Cycle Shrewsbury has asked Shrewsbury Town Council for 32 concrete planters to be removed from Smithfield Road to transform the area they take up into a cycle path. Shrewsbury In Bloom committee learned about the proposal at its latest meeting.

Members were told by Gary Farmer, the town council's operations manager, that he will look for possible areas within the town to replace them.

But committee members said they were concerned In Bloom judges would not appreciate flowers being removed from one of the main routes into the town.

The minutes of the meeting said: "The town council had received a request to remove the 32 concrete planters from the footway along Smithfield Road to facilitate the development of a cycle lane.

"Gary Farmer reported that he is to meet with Dan Simms from Highways to look at possible areas within the town to relocate those planters, but the cost of re-location should be borne by Cycle Shrewsbury which was requesting removal."

The minutes said that members expressed concern that "given the importance and reputation of Shrewsbury as a town of flowers, to remove floral displays on one of the major routes within the town would not be well received not only by the In Bloom judges but the public at large".

The minutes also said that as Cycle Shrewsbury was requesting the removal of the planters it should "fund floral troughs for the railings along Smithfield Road".

"Members felt that such a project would also fit in with the plans to develop the planting in the vicinity of the Quantum Leap," the minutes added.

The committee decided that Mr Farmer would look at potential new locations for the planters, as well as a scheme to install barrier troughs along Smithfield Road.

By Andrew Morris