A safety row has broken out as hardworking volunteers are told they must take a £165 course to hang flower baskets.
Residents of the market town of Chatteris are absolutely stunned to hear that unless they spend money on the safety course, they will have to hire a specialist contractor to spruce up their lampposts with hanging baskets.
Dedicated volunteers from Chatteris in Bloom have won gold at Britain in Bloom and Anglia in Bloom, but new regulations from Cambridgeshire County Council are pushing them to their limits.
The municipality is fighting back and says the rules must be followed because the street lighting is connected to the electricity grid and is necessary to “guarantee the safety of everyone”.
Group chairman Sue Unwin (64) said: “It has become impossible because of the bureaucracy and red tape,” reports the BBC.
She added: “There are a number of jobs in the county council that have made this decision… we have been doing this for over 18 years. None of us have that capacity or the money – we give enough of our time.”
The provincial government told residents that the new safety course would last one day.
They told the group that if they already had a qualified member, they could hang the baskets after the council approved their application.
Maggie Manders, 76, also of Chatteris, said you need the baskets to keep the displays looking good.
She said: 'Not only can you have the flowers, the hanging baskets make up for it too… you can't have the fish without the chips.
Ms Manders added: “It would make my day if they gave it to us. We love Chatteris in Bloom, please give this to us.”
About 20 lampposts are used for the presentations and the flowers are hung at the end of May and judged in July.
A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire County Council told the newspaper BBC: “It's great to see the creative ways communities across the province are using street lighting with festive displays.
“As street lights are directly connected to the local electricity grid, any group wishing to display street light items must contact the council to ensure the safety of everyone so that we can ensure essential independent safety training is completed for everyone's well-being.
“We look forward to hearing from Chatteris in Bloom.”
Express.co.uk has approached Cambridgeshire County Council for comment.