A Girl Guide leader has hit out at councillors in Oswestry – in a row over planting flowers. Guides in the town wanted the council to fund and plant a celebratory floral display in Cae Glas Park.

However, Oswestry Town Council rejected the plans, despite approving a similar request from the town’s Scout movement two years ago.

Sally Symons, the Guides’ Oswestry district commissioner, criticised the council’s decision in a letter to go before members tomorrow.

But a councillor said the request had to be turned down because of its high cost, which would have been hard to justify to town taxpayers.

Mrs Symons said: “I was extremely disappointed to learn the council is unwilling to support our proposal for a floral display in Cae Glas Park to mark the centenary of Girlguiding UK in 2010.

“I note from the minutes of the council’s amenities committee meeting of December 3 that councillors ‘resolved to agree, in principle’ to our request, and that the matter does not appear to have been discussed at all at subsequent meetings.

“It is also worth noting the council saw fit to support a similar request from the Scouts for a display to mark their centenary in 2007.

“Your alternative suggestion, that we should contribute to the provision of a willow arch at the far corner of the park, does not appear to meet our main objectives of a display which is both visible and recognisable as relevant to Girlguiding.”

But Councillor Martin Bennett, chairman of the Cae Glas Park Trust, said: “It was a difficult decision to take but we have had to prune our council tax precept this year.

“We did agree in principle for the display, but after we were given the cost, we felt it would be very difficult to justify the extra expenditure to the council taxpayers.

“Councillors meant no offence to the Guides. The willow arch will be a permanent display, while the floral display would have been temporary.”

Councillors will discuss the letter at a council meeting tomorrow.

By Iain St John