End of flower show as 200 boxes go

AROUND 200 large wooden flower display boxes around Galway City and Salthill – which cost the local authority more than €30,000 in rent – are in the process of being removed, despite many of them still being in flower. Galway City Council has confirmed to the Sentinel that each of the 200 boxes – installed to beautify the city for the Volvo Ocean Race – cost €150 to rent from a local nursery for the length of a six month contract, which has now elapsed.In response to a series of queries from this newspaper, Acting Director of Services for the Environment, Parks and Culture, Kevin Swift, said he believed the flower boxes, which cost €30,000 in rent alone, represented good value for money. “It was a rental agreement rather than a purchase agreement, and they are being taken away now because it is the end of the season,” said Mr Swift.However, dozens of 'planter’ boxes which were removed from Salthill by Liam Madden Nurseries last Friday afternoon were still visibly in bloom.Mr Swift said that a total of 200 boxes were rented, while a further 56 were provided by the City Council. Maintenance on all the containers was carried out by Council workers over the six-month period.Almost all will be removed because it is the “end of season”, although 59 are set to be retained until the end of March on approaches to the city and in the city centre. When asked for the total cost involving the installation, maintenance and removal of the planters, Mr Swift said it would take time to calculate in detail.“However, the planters were installed by City Council workers as part of their normal duties,” he said.He explained that quotations were sought from local nurseries for the containers, and Liam Madden Nurseries was the “most economically advantageous proposal”. Mr Swift added that containers for next year will be considered in the context of the 2010 proposal.