Council continuing to water plants during hot weather

A hosepipe ban came into effect for residents across the Province on Friday, June 29.

Although this does not apply to the council, the local authority is trying to minimise the amount of water being used to tend to plants and flowers in the borough.

Commenting on the issue, a council spokesperson said: “Council has not received any complaints in relation to the planting and flowers in Glengormley and is continuing to water the plants, being careful to conserve water as far as possible.

“Following a recent inspection, the majority of plants are surviving the high temperatures but as could be expected, some have not survived the impact of the long period of dry, hot weather.”

The spokesperson added: “The hosepipe ban only applies to domestic properties. However, council has taken steps to minimise its water usage for plants by reducing the amount of watering it does, not using sprinklers for lawns and using untreated water in some areas.

“We will continue to keep this under review to ensure usage of treated water is kept to a minimum.”

The council issued the response after a Glengormley resident contacted the Times to voice concerns about the condition of plants and flowers in baskets and planters across the region.

The woman, who wished to remain anonymous said: “The state of the plants and flowers in Newtownabbey is terrible. They have all died and withered.

“They are an eyesore for local people and give a bad impression to anyone who is visiting the borough.

“The plants weren’t in the best condition a number of weeks ago, but now they are horrible.”