A row has erupted over a council decision to axe floral displays in Colchester.

Each year since 1984, town centre streets have been made more attractive with 120 council-funded hanging baskets as part of Colchester in Bloom.

But budget cuts of £9,000 have meant councillors deciding they will not be put up this year.

The decision has angered town centre retailers who pay for their own hanging baskets in Lion Walk and Culver Square precints.

They feel it means Colchester Council is not doing its bit to work together to improve the town for shoppers and visitors.

The council funded 120 baskets in High Street, North Hill, East Hill and Culver Street West. Businesses were asked to sponsor them at £60 each, but the response was poor.

Michael Lowe, manager of Lion Walk Shopping Centre, said: "We are very disappointed. The town used to look nice with all those hanging baskets.

"We have doubled our hanging baskets for Lion Walk so we can try to do our best to attract people to Colchester, and then the council cuts their ones back to nothing. We are meant to be working together to enhance the town."

Colchester Council's landscape manager Mike Keen said the budget cuts, approved by councillors, meant one part of the town's floral displays would have to go.

Flowers on roundabouts, tubs of plants in Balkerne Hill and Southway would remain, but he said there was not enough money to provide hanging baskets as well.

The Colchester in Bloom competition, where town centre residents, traders and publicans can enter their displays, will go ahead. Judging, normally by the mayor, is due to take place in July with an awards ceremony in September.

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