Flower show row causes a stink (From Bridgwater Mercury)

Flower show row causes a stink

11:11am Monday 18th August 2008

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A ‘MISUNDERSTANDING’ over red tape has caused a stink at Bridgwater Flower Show with organisers claming they were told petals posed an environmental hazard.

Last week, show secretary Jackie Sealey received a message from Sedgemoor District Council, who run the event’s venue, Bridgwater Town Hall.

The e-mail said that all food waste from the event had to be removed from the site as an environmental hazard and went on to say that “any waste pertaining to the show such as plants and foliage” also had be taken away on the day.

Jackie said: “I am absolutely gob smacked. This is bureaucracy gone mad. This is a flower show - how many petals does it take to constitute a health hazard?

“When exhibitors set up their displays, they trim the flowers so there’s a few leaves and stalks.

“We don’t generate a huge amount of rubbish at the show. We’ll just pop it into a bag and put in the nearest street waste bin – from where Sedgemoor District Council can collect it!

“I would have thought that if you pay for the hall it would include the removal of a small amount of rubbish as it has done for the last ten years.”

A spokesman for Sedgemoor District Council said: “It was a misunderstanding in the wording of the e-mail. We are not asking them to pick up every petal but with food waste it is standard procedure. We will continue to give as good a service as we have always done.”

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