Flowerbeds costs £5 million and red tape

A village has been locked in a bureaucratic nightmare - over two small flowerbeds.

To the residents of Everton in Nottinghamshire, the blooms added a splash of colour to an already picturesque corner of rural England.

But to county council officials, they represented a health and safety risk which had to be licensed and regulated.

The confrontation began when the village's parish council decided to plant flowerbeds by a main road.

It was swiftly informed that a "licence to cultivate" was required.

That was just the start of the red tape. Villagers were then told to submit a health and safety questionnaire and a risk assessment for carrying out the work.

Once these had been granted, the plans had to be approved by Nottinghamshire county council's landscape team.

The accident investigation department also had to be consulted in case the flower beds caused a motoring hazard.

Even then, the display couldn't be planted, because utility companies needed to be formally consulted in case the planting caused them a problem.

And, of course, public liability insurance - with cover for at least £5million - had to be taken out.

In the face of all this, it's perhaps not surprising that Everton's 770 residents decided to give up on the idea.

I hope if there are elections there this May that the entire council is kicked out. They have gone totally over the top.

Hat tip: Nanny Knows Best.