We should bow down before our overlords donning trendy fluorescent jackets. I understand they are all the fashion rage across the pond nowadaze.
Posted on 08/10/2007 8:27:10 AM PDT by Daffynition
A pensioner has been told she must stop tending a public flower bed unless she agrees to wear a fluorescent jacket, put up warning signs and use a lookout.
June Turnbull, 79, of Urchfront near Devizes, has nurtured the blooms on the plot for six years.
But now she is being told to obey health and safety rules after being spotted by a county council official.
Mrs Turnbull said: "I was very angry, I mean it seems so petty bothering with what I do here. There's just no point."
Peter Hanson, divisional highways manager at Wiltshire County Council, said: "We are always happy to work with individuals and organisations that are willing to help improve the appearance of local roads through improvements such as flower beds.
I love doing it. I want to make it as pretty as I possibly can June Turnbull
"However, to ensure this type of work is done safely they need to seek permission from us to enable us to check there are no local safety issues, such as underground wires or pipes.
"We also require that people undertaking this type of work follow the same safety procedures as our own staff to ensure they are not put at risk. "
Urchfont Parish Council has recently applied for a licence and has had a meeting with the county council.
"We need to get a licence from the Highways Authority to enable work on this bed to be done, people must wear a fluorescent jacket, have warning signs and have two people working there," Peter Newell, chairman of Urchfont Parish Council, told BBC News.
A defiant Mrs Turnbull said it was "health and safety gone mad" and has vowed to continue gardening despite the warning that she would be banned.
She insisted: "I love doing it. I want to make it as pretty as I possibly can. I will continue working on the flower bed."
No good deed goes unpunished..
Peter Hanson, a**hole with power.
Re: “We need to get a licence from the Highways Authority to enable work on this bed to be done, people must wear a fluorescent jacket, have warning signs and have two people working there,” Peter Newell, chairman of Urchfont Parish Council, told BBC News.
A definite job in need of axing.
We should bow down before our overlords donning trendy fluorescent jackets. I understand they are all the fashion rage across the pond nowadaze.
-ccm
I think the town councils in the UK are taking a lot of heat for some of the irrational steps they are espousing. I’m trying to dig up an article on that subject but can’t seem to find it.
I'm reminded of the gnomes so prevalent in English gardens. Rather than write to Mr. Hanson, we should chip in and get Mrs Turnbull this gnome to put out in the garden she tends.
So, who’s going to be the lookout for the lookout?
She's more likely to get run over by attracting the text messaging driver's attention.
LOL ... isn’t he an Indian [from India]?
No he’s just disguised as one ;-)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.