Sheffield couple backed in flowerbed row

Sally Williams, aged 69, and her husband Brian, 80, planted the floral displays near their home on Hollin House Lane, Loxley, nearly 30 years ago to bring some colour to the quiet rural lane and encourage wildlife to the area.

But following an anonymous complaint to Sheffield Council, the couple were told by the authority to remove the flowers, and their accompanying stones and water barrels, because they '˜could be a danger to other road users'.

The blooms have since been given a reprieve.

But readers of The Star have taken to Facebook to vent their frustration over the council's initial stance and to express support for the couple.

Kelly Fisher said: 'What's wrong with people wanting to take pride in where they live? It looks beautiful.'

Meanwhile, Sharon Turner believed the floral displays '˜look lovely'.

And Beverley Self wrote: 'It's causing no harm whatsoever.

'This quiet road looks beautiful, shame on the anonymous complainant.

'I'd have told the person who complained to get a life.

'If there's any justice, they'll be allowed to keep it as it is.

'People should be applauded for taking pride in their community.'

Thousands of people have signed a petition to try and save the roadside garden.

Any council decision has been put on hold until '˜a suitable solution' can be reached. 

Tom Finnegan-Smith, head of strategic transport and infrastructure at Sheffield Council, previously said: 'We have sympathy with the nearby homeowner who has attempted to stop cars driving over the highway verge on what is a very narrow, single-track lane.

'We received a complaint about this garden and had to take appropriate action.''‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹