Camden News: Cllr Chris Knight | Gayton Road | John Weston

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Camden News - by SIMON WROE
Published: 18 September 2008

John Weston, vice chairman of the Gayton Road residents association

Hang that health and safety – it’s blooming crazy!

Council’s ‘over-zealous’ ruling on ‘killer’ flower baskets leaves neighbours furious

WHEN two of the hanging flower baskets adorning the lamp posts of Gayton Road disappeared in July, residents suspected thieves or jealous neighbours.
In fact, as residents discovered a month later, the colourful hanging gardens of Hampstead had been removed by council officers – for health and safety reasons.
Apparently, Town Hall experts deemed the pots of pansies and geraniums too dangerous to be displayed above people’s heads.
John Weston, vice chairman of the Gayton Road residents association, said: “Someone obviously decided they were killer hanging baskets but nobody told us. In 20 years we’ve had no complaints.
“We thought they had been stolen. It was only through some detective work that we discovered they had been taken by the council.”
When contact with the Town Hall was made, council bosses asked the residents to remove the remaining flower
baskets. The safety of Edwardian lamp posts was also called into question.
Residents of the street give a voluntary amount each year for the upkeep and renewal of the flowers. There is even a water rota for the plants.
Mr Weston added: “The flower baskets are part of trying to foster a bit of a community
spirit – it doesn’t help when one of the symbols of that community is removed by someone at the council who’s a bit over-zealous.”
Frustrated by waiting for Town Hall to make a decision, the residents put the baskets back up last weekend for the annual street party.
Chris Knight, councillor for Hampstead Town and the Town Hall’s new environment chief, said it was a case of “the council looking after the residents” and that “further structural checks” were needed before he would support or condemn the council decision.
He added: “There was no dreadful subterfuge. There were concerns about the lamp posts and the baskets were removed.”

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