Flowers of romance

In the UK a couple who planted flowers in a roadside verge recently faced a charge of criminal damage from the local authorities. The elderly couple started planting the flowers 15 years ago in a bid to dissuade motorists from parking their vehicles illegally on the verge, explaining that this churned up the grass and left it looking unsightly.
September 29, 2014 Read time: 2 mins

In the UK a couple who planted flowers in a roadside verge recently faced a charge of criminal damage from the local authorities. The elderly couple started planting the flowers 15 years ago in a bid to dissuade motorists from parking their vehicles illegally on the verge, explaining that this churned up the grass and left it looking unsightly. A local council official visited the area after being called to inspect the remains of a fallen tree nearby. The officious official spotted the fuchsias and after making enquiries as to who had planted them in the verge, warned the retired couple that this was a dangerously illegal activity in breach of regulations. The couple then received a letter from the authorities requiring them to remove the flowers and replace the turf on the verge in question, threatening a fine and court action if they refused to comply. A representative for the council later explained that in the event of an accident occurring on the verge resulting in injuries, it would not be clear who to sue for damages due to the presence of the flowers. European road safety standards do not so far include vehicle impact tests on fuchsias.

Related Content

  • CECE Summit – is Europe ready for a digital construction worksite?
    November 20, 2015
    The CECE has voiced his concern over government regulations that could strangle innovation for the digitalisation of construction machinery. China’s imploding economy was another topic at the recent conference in Brussels, reports David Arminas. The CECE has urged the European Parliament and European Commission to enact legislation that promotes rather than hinders the construction sector’s transition to a digitalised way of working. “We need a smart regulatory framework that helps to unlock the full poten
    Read More
  • “Record” cash for filling English potholes
    March 25, 2025
    The transport secretary also unveiled funding for 2025-26 for National Highways, the English road agency, to deliver critical road schemes and maintain motorways and critical major A-roads.
    Read More
  • Kronprinsesse Marys Bro bridges Roskilde Fjord
    January 10, 2019
    A BESIX joint venture is giving the royal treatment to the new Kronprinsesse Marys Bro across Roskilde Fjord, writes David Arminas It was announced in September 2016 that Belgian group BESIX, in a joint venture (RBAI) with Italian firm Rizzani de Eccher and Spanish company Acciona Infraestructuras, had been chosen for the €133 million project. The award, by client Vejdirektoratet (Danish Road Directorate), marked the entry of BESIX into the Scandinavian market. Vejdirektoratet praised the winning bid as
    Read More
  • ERF highlights ‘WhiteRoads’ with low accident rates
    April 2, 2013
    The European Union Road Federation and the Spanish Road Association have presented the results of their joint WhiteRoads Project, which highlights road links with good safety standards. This project has taken three years of research and is intended to create a positive approach to road safety and focus on zero fatality roads, as opposed to the traditional practice of focusing on black spots. A European White Spot (EUWS) is defined as a section of road 15km long or more where there have been no fatal acciden
    Read More

Highlighted Content