City Council Refuses to Fund Chelsea Flower Garden

Stoke-On-Trent City Council will not be exhibiting at next year’s Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show after it came under fire for using taxpayer’s money to fund an entry into the 2014 show.

The council spent £450,000 on their 2014 entry, causing uproar in a community that had to suffer over £20million in cuts and savings.

Council leader Mohammed Parvez has rejected a recommendation from the council’s renewal office to ring-fence another £250,000 to enter the 2015 show, unless “substantial external sponsorship is guaranteed”.

Councillor David Conway, of the City Independents group proclaimed he said that the decision to fund a 2014 entry led to “harsh resentment” during a time of significant budget cuts:

“They should never have taken part this year.”

The council’s 2014 entry, “Positively Stoke” won a silver gilt award.