Row erupts over decision to scrap floral display funding

An attempt by Conservative councillor Tom Marshall to secure cash for summer bedding plants to brighten up the town centre’s flower beds failed at a North Ayrshire Council meeting this week.

Funding for bedding plants was cut from NAC’s 2024-25 budget in February, when councillors voted on the authority’s spending plans for the new financial year.

And SNP councillor Alan Hill said Cllr Marshall had not opposed the removal of funding for floral displays when councillors voted on the budget four months ago.

Cllr Hill now says he’s working with the Largs Development Trust to spruce up the garden area between the railway station and the Blue Lagoon using perennial planting.

Flowerbed as it currently looks in Largs town centre (Image: Tom Marshall)

Cllr Hill told the News: “Personally, I have believed for a while that we need to move to more sustainable, perennial planting schemes for Largs.

“For that reason, I have been working with the Largs Development Trust to successfully secure funding from Kelburn Windfarm Trust to renovate the main bed between the Blue Lagoon and the Railway Station.

"The aim here will be to create a permanent perennial bed along the lines of the amazing gardens in the railway station itself which have been created by the Largs Railway Station Growers.

“This way we will build something which will be eye-catching, attractive and permanent. If done properly, perennial planting also ensures year-round interest.”

NAC’s standing orders had to be suspended to allow Cllr Marshall’s motion to be considered at the council's meeting on June 27, as the rules normally don’t allow councils to rethink a budget decision until six months after it’s been made.

Cllr Tom Marshall is furious over lack of bed planting in Largs (Image: North Ayrshire Council)

Cllr Marshall, who described his motion as "non political", claimed his SNP opponent had originally supported the idea of a motion urging a rethink over bedding plants.

Cllr Hill agreed he had “initially thought this might have been a reasonable idea”.

But he added: “When I gave it more thought, I realised that it is far too late in the year to be looking at summer bedding plants. Planted in July, we would be lucky to see any flowers this season at all.

“We would in all likelihood be wasting funds which would be better spent elsewhere.”

Cllr Marshall, who accused the SNP of “just play[ing] party politics”, added: “Instead we will have drab perennial planting in some flower beds and bare soil in others.

"All in the name of the ‘climate change emergency’, which apparently, in the SNP’s eyes, requires a drab, featureless seafront in Largs.”

Flower power: Alan Hill says he has been working with Largs Development Trust to secure funding and provide improvements in town for prominent town centre flowerbed (Image: Newsquest)

Cllr Hill responded: "It is frankly rather typical of local Tories to go for a cheap headline and a quick fix to issues, rather than actually rolling up their sleeves and finding good long-lasting solutions to local problems.

"Also, when he talks about cuts to the funding of grounds maintenance, Cllr Marshall, in true Janus-like fashion, neglects to mention that he failed to oppose these during budget discussions at the council.

"So, whilst he has been expending hot air on this issue, I have actually been working with a new local group in the town to develop plans to improve some of our flower beds.”

Councillor Ian Murdoch, who backed Cllr Marshall’s unsuccessful motion, declined to be drawn into a party political debate, but added: “At least we have secured some perennial planting for the town rather than none at all."