Council to review bulb giveaway after chaos and abuse aimed at contractors at Leamington park
Warwick District Council is set to review its plant bulb giveaway after a session at a park in Leamington resulted in a chaotic atmosphere where contractors were verbally abused.
This week, the council and its contractor idverde organised free bulb giveaways in Leamington and Warwick in a bid to reduce waste and to provide the plants a new home.
On Tuesday May 20, the first giveaway was held at Jephson Gardens, but many residents took to social media to share the chaos they found when attending in the morning.
Several residents commented on how some people had turned up with multiple or extra large bags – with one person spotted with a shopping trolley – when the council previous stated it would be “one bag per person”.
Others also witnesses people pulling the bulbs out of the ground themselves.
Despite what ensued, the council is still going ahead with the Warwick giveaway in St Nicholas Park on Friday (May 23).
A spokesperson from Warwick District Council said: “As a gesture of goodwill to ensure that the bedding plants in our parks do not go to waste and to continue to support biodiversity, the council and its contractor idverde arrange for the spring bulbs to be given away for free to members of the public.
"This is something the council has been doing for many years, with no issues.
"As with anything free, it is first-come, first-served and expected that people will only take an amount that leaves enough for everybody else.
"The council stipulates one bag per person, but unfortunately this was not being followed in Jephson Gardens this week.
“Our contractors were subject to unnecessary comments and abuse, and were not given enough time or patience to allow the bulbs to be removed from the ground.
"This giveaway is something that the council’s contractors do whilst continuing their normal grounds maintenance work.
"The council will continue with the giveaway in St Nicholas Park on Friday and will be advising people again that it is first-come, first-served and one carrier bag per person, and we expect people to behave courteously and with respect for something that is free.
"People do not need to bring their own tools, just a carrier bag.
“The council will be reviewing the bulb giveaway for next year.”