Arran is kept lookin’ bloomin’ marvellous
The floral tubs which brighten up the villages of Arran have been saved.
Each of the village associations around the island has agreed to take over responsibility for the flower pots after North Ayrshire Council said it could no longer maintain them.
As previously reported by the Banner, the council blamed budget cuts for the decision to stop planting the tubs, warning that if the villages did not take over responsibility for them, they would be taken away.
There are some 75 tubs around the villages which are presently in full bloom with spring flowers. However, when they die it will now be up to each of the village associations to replant them.
At the monthly meeting of Arran Community Council, chairman Bill Calderwood was given an assurance that each of the village associations was willing to take over responsibility for its tubs.
In a one-off move, he said the council had secured £600 in funding from the Arran Trust, which would be match funded by the village associations, depending on how many tubs they have, allowing them to buy £1,200 worth of plants. These are being purchased and brought to the island at cost with the assistance of Eleanor McCue of Eleanor’s Flowers, who, the meeting heard, had been a great help.
Brodick Improvements were the first to agree to take over the 16 tubs in Brodick. Lamlash, Kildonan and Blackwaterfoot have 10 each to look after. The others are at Corrie (nine), Kilmory (eight), Whiting Bay (seven), Shiskine (three) and Machrie (two).
However, Mr Calderwood previously warned it was
not just the case of removing the spring bulbs and planting the summer bedding plants. ‘There has to be fairly regular watering and there is a fair degree of ongoing maintenance,’ he said.
The council blamed the need to abandon the tubs on the fact there are fewer grounds staff on the island and the planting out budget for the whole of North Ayrshire has been halved. It has played no part in making the new arrangements for the flower pots.
It is not the first time that the community associations have stepped into to take over responsibility for public facilities following the public toilet and play park debacles.
The community council heard this week that the new toilet block at Sannox, which was delivered last month, had now been commissioned and the keys handed over the Corrie and Sannox village committee.