I’m sorry to see that last year’s ‘row’ over hanging baskets has been resurrected by the Journal online to add an element of controversy to its report of the council’s new, more environmentally friendly planting ideas for the city centre.

As I said in the national media at the time, this ‘row’ was a politically motivated stunt manufactured by prominent local Conservatives who couldn’t cope with the fact that the city council wasn’t exclusively theirs to play with any more and who refused to share responsibility for difficult decisions with us when invited.

It would be nice if people could give change a chance. We’ve already said that if the wider public reaction is negative, we can reconsider for next year.

Cllr Annie Riddle

Independent, Harnham West

Member of City Council administration

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