Stafford Borough Council is very adept at issuing press releases about ‘good news’ but trying to find out the facts about the ‘not so good’ is like extracting teeth! Stone Town Council has been very concerned for some time about the lack of formal notification about the future of Stone in Bloom and the lack of any hard facts. So it was very useful that an informal meeting was convened yesterday between Borough Council officers and Town Council representatives on the former Stone in Bloom committee.

The officers were able to reassure us that Stafford Borough Council’s Streetscene Department will continue to supply flower displays in parks and flower borders etc., hanging baskets and barrier boxes as in previous years. However, neither Stafford nor Stone will be entered into any regional or national In Bloom competitions.

This is very sad. Stone has achieved some notable successes over the years in these competitions thanks to the hard work and dedication of a group of volunteers on the Stone in Bloom committee. The Borough’s own proposed ‘in house’ competitions will not carry the same weight - so, after the meeting,  we asked our Town Clerk to investigate the implications of Stone entering the regional In Bloom competeitions under it’s own steam. My own view is that if time is on our side and the cost is affordable, we should go for it. Watch this space!