Volunteers in Bristol have said they are furious after thousands of flower bulbs they planted in a local park were cut down just days later by council workers. More than 70 people took part in planting nearly 30,000 bulbs in St George Park on Saturday, after a community campaign raised thousands of pounds to pay for the project. Within days, however, a large number of the newly planted bulbs were destroyed when grass in the park was mown.
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Bristol City Council, which is led by the Green Party, has begun an internal investigation into the incident and said the volunteer group will be compensated for the cost of the lost bulbs. The Friends of St George Park group raised more than £6,000 to fund the planting through local events and by selling over 12,000 bags of duck food, prepared and sold at a nearby café.
Victoria Bromley, a member of the group, said the project had been about more than improving the park, describing it as an opportunity to show children the value of community involvement. She said she had looked forward to pointing out the flowers to her four-year-old daughter in the weeks ahead and telling her that she had helped plant them.
The council has not yet said exactly how the bulbs came to be mown over, though councillors indicated there may have been a failure of communication between council departments.
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According to local reporting, roughly half of the bulbs are thought to have been destroyed, while about a third appear to have survived untouched. Cara Lavan, a Green councillor who joined the planting effort, described the incident as deeply upsetting for those involved. She said the community had been left devastated after what had been a positive and unifying day in the park.
In a statement, a council spokesperson said officials recognised the distress caused and were investigating the circumstances surrounding the mowing of the area. The spokesperson added that the council would work with ward councillors and local volunteers to respond to the matter. The authority also said it would look at ways to support future events or park improvement projects organised by the volunteer group where possible.
