Weston-super-Mare floral clock concreted over by charity

A town's floral clock display has been covered in concrete by the volunteers who were looking after it.

Weston-super-Mare's Lions had been maintaining the town's much-loved floral clock for the past 10 years.

They said they could not maintain the flowers any longer and decided to make it easier to look after.

However, North Somerset Council, who own the land, said they did not give permission for the work on the clock that dates back almost 100 years.

"Over the last three years we found it harder and harder to look after the clock," Chick Parkin, president of the Weston Lions said.

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.

"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."

An artist will paint a mural of sunflowers on the concrete and there will be permanent flowers to attract bees, Mr Parkins added.

Councillor Mike Solomon from North Somerset Council, said they will have a meeting with the Lions to discuss how to move forward.

"It's been important to Westonians and I am a Westonian," Mr Solomon said.

"But we are talking about 20,000 plants being planted every year and maintained.

"We are in a place now where we just don't have that money to spend. It's difficult to think of a way forward."

A local council spokesperson added: "North Somerset Council was not given notice that work was planned, and, as landowner, we did not give our permission for work to be undertaken.

"We appreciate the hard work of the Lions volunteers over many years and look forward to finding an acceptable solution."

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