Floral clock petition triggers council debate.
A petition to conserve a 72-year-old landmark in East Sussex has garnered enough signatures to prompt a town hall debate.
The flower clock was built in the Palmeira Square grounds in Hove as part of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation festivities in 1953. However, Brighton & Hove City Council announced in September that it was going to remove the clock because “financial constraints” meant it could no longer afford to repair and maintain it.
A petition to rescue the clock now has more than 3,000 signatures, surpassing the 2,250 required for a council debate.
According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, campaigner Laura King spearheaded the petition and stated that losing the clock would be “a crime”.
“The floral clock can be restored and the council has plenty of community infrastructure levy tax which can be invested in garden infrastructure for the community,” says Ms. King.
“The clock can also be sponsored for special occasions, as used to be the case.” Why is this important? The flowering clock is a popular city feature that has appeared on numerous postcards over the years.
“It would be a crime to get rid of Hove’s once-beautiful floral clock and the community have been given no say in this council decision.”
‘Financial constraints’
Ms King will have three minutes to speak at Monday’s debate, followed by 15 minutes for councillors to address the topic.
In its September consultation, the council stated: “We know this is a popular feature, and we especially want to hear your thoughts on this section of the garden as we co-create our plans with you.”
“While financial restrictions prevent the council from committing to repairing and maintaining a functional clock, we want the community who loves and uses the park to help us come up with ideas for what we could do with this section of the area.
“We’ve secured funding to cover the cost of the re-landscaping and volunteer gardeners from the Friends of Palmeira and Adelaide Residents Association have generously agreed to help the council maintain the new garden.”
More than 1,110 persons answered to the public consultation. The council has yet to make the results public.
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