Salisbury residents angry at flower bed nicknamed 'the coffin'

Crane Lodge residents were recently treated to a new planter installed outside their flats on Cranebridge Road.

But due to the size of the flower bed and the location in which it was put up, it’s fair to say the gift wasn’t well-received.

Helen Beaven, 75, said: “It’s absolutely horrendous. Someone’s going to hit it sooner or later, it’s too big, it really is an eyesore. We call it the coffin.”

Last year, residents set up a gardening club and lobbied the council to replace an old, circular flower bed to make the entrance of their flats look prettier.

But around a fortnight ago, workmen turned up to deliver the new planter which is unlike anything they were expecting.

The old flower bed, and right: the replacement

Dawn Wright, 64, said: “I believe the council has put this huge monstrosity there to stop cars coming into the car park at that angle but looking at it, it’s too tall. It’s mostly older people living here and we’re not going to be able to maintain it or tend to the flowers.”

On top of that, Mrs Wright says they are worried it would cause an obstruction to emergency vehicles.

She added: “I can’t see how a fire engine would be able to turn in there speedily without damaging their vehicles or an ambulance for that matter. “It’s a hazard to emergency vehicles coming in, it’s too tall for any of us to do anything with it.

“Before they put all the soil in, people were throwing rubbish in there and it was too tall for anyone to take it out so that gave us a bit of a giggle.”

Cllr Richard Clewer, Wiltshire council Cabinet Member for Housing, said the gardening club applied for £1,000 towards a new raised planter.

He added: “The raised planter has not yet been completed as it needs to be painted and planted up as well as the installation of a scheme entrance sign. The location of the raised planter has not caused any obstruction to emergency vehicles.”