Work starts on restoring resort’s floral clock
ATOWN’S renowned floral clock that was concreted over to the dismay of residents is now being restored.
Weston-super-Mare’s Lions had been maintaining the clock for the past 10 years.
But they said they could not maintain the flowers any longer and decided to make it easier to look after, so concreted over it.
But North Somerset Council, which owns the land, said it did not give permission for the work on the clock that dates back almost 100 years.
After complaints from the town’s residents, the mass concrete slab, which was covering the clock from February 7, is now being removed.
One local said it had been a complete waste of time and money.
They said yesterday: “They started to remove the concrete this morning.
“Volunteers paid the charity £4,000 to lay it and now the council have done a huge U-turn to put it back to how it was. What a massive waste of money.
“Now the council is paying eight bodies down there to break it up with hammers and drills and for its removal.
“It is being put back to the way it was – but what a waste of time, money and effort all around.”
Chick Parkin, president of the Weston Lions, said: “Over the last three years we found it harder and harder to look after the clock.”
The floral clock was built in 1935 and then restored in 1951.
Mr Parkin said they had been watering the flowers three times a week in summer and it was still not enough to keep them alive.
He explained: “We put out a plea last year for people to come out and help us water it, but only two people reacted to our cry for help.”
The council’s executive member for culture and leisure Mike Solomon added: “Following an urgent meeting with the Lions Club of Weston-superMare, who maintain the site, we’ve agreed that North Somerset Council will remove the concrete and restore flower beds. We hope to work with volunteers on this project to make the site the best it can be.”
He added: “We will continue to work closely alongside the Lions Club to finalise plans for the future of the floral clock.
“We want to again thank them for volunteering their time and effort for many years to maintain this space.”