Questions raised over town centre planters

Questions have been raised about planters installed across Melksham town centre after it emerged they were put in place before formal permission had been granted, with concerns also raised about consultation and cost.

The planters were installed at various locations on 25th September, with trees added in December. Wiltshire Council has confirmed that formal permission was not granted until 30th October. Residents had previously raised concerns that some of the planters were obstructing visibility for road users.

When asked about the approvals, Melksham Town Council told Melksham News that permission had been granted on 26th September. Wiltshire Council confirmed that consent was only issued on 30th October. Melksham News asked the town council why incorrect information had been provided, but no response was received.

The planters were installed as part of the Wiltshire Towns Programme, which provides funding for town centre improvements.

Cost 

The cost of the planters has also come under scrutiny. At a council meeting in June 2024, councillors were told the estimated cost would be £150 per planter. A later report in October 2024 revised the estimate to £500 each for 12 planters, giving a total expected cost of £6,000. The actual spend was £21,104.80 for 13 planters, a cost of £1,623.45 per planter.

Residents raised concerns on social media, with one saying, “They look great but that’s an extortionate price,” while another described it as “a waste of our money”.

The town council’s CEO said the £500 estimate was based on an initial discussion with Men’s Shed, which was unable to take on the work due to timing and scale. She said, “Consequently, the third party working on the project with us sought additional quotes from other suppliers, which led to the final expenditure of £21,104.80.”

Consultation 

Despite earlier recommendations that residents should be consulted before the planters were purchased, no public consultation took place. The CEO said this was due to urgent deadlines, stating that “it was not possible to complete a full consultation process as part of this work”.

Despite concerns, some residents have praised the trees added to the planters in December, including a memorial tree installed in the Market Place.

Melksham Town Council were approached for further comment in relation to the questions raised. No comment has been provided.

Cllr Martin Smith, Wiltshire Council Cabinet Member for Highways, said, “We worked closely with Melksham Town Council to make sure the planters could be installed safely. The town council needed to obtain consent from us as the highway authority before placing the planters.

“While formal consent was given on 30th October, we had been in conversation with the town council for several months before this to discuss the locations of the planters.

“They first contacted us in February, and once they confirmed the number of planters, we carried out a site visit with them to assess each proposed location for suitability. A list of agreed locations was then confirmed, and formal consent was granted on 30th October.

“As part of our commitment to highway safety, we undertook a full assessment prior to installation, including checks on visibility and pedestrian access. After the planters were installed, we carried out a further site assessment and requested several changes to ensure safety. These changes were agreed and implemented.

“We continue to monitor the planters to make sure that they do not impact highway users in any way.”