RESIDENTS might not see hanging baskets placed around Bracknell Forest for the foreseeable future if new savings plans are approved.

The decorations were sacrificed in 2020 after the council’s grounds maintenance staff were asked to support essential waste collection throughout the pandemic, instead.

READ MORE: Bracknell Forest Council budget plans revealed

Now new budget papers published by the council indicate hanging baskets will not be installed around the borough in the coming year in a move which will save the authority £13,000.

A Bracknell Forest Council spokesperson told the News: “During 2020 no hanging baskets were installed as grounds maintenance staff were supporting essential waste collection services instead.

“The recommendation is that hanging baskets and the associated bedding plants are therefore not reinstated.

“If this proposal is not agreed in the final budget, there will also be a one-off cost pressure since many of the brackets need replacement.”

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This plan was revealed as part of draft budget proposals which earmark £3.3 million of council savings proposed for the coming year.

The papers showed Bracknell Forest Council bosses are planning to spend £89.4 million on their revenue budget in the 2021/2022 financial year.

With £83.2 million in income expected for this period, the authority revealed a potential funding gap of £6.2 million.

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Residents can have their say on the budget plans by heading to the council’s consultation page, which can be found here.

The consultation closes on Wednesday, January 27. Following this, revised budget plans will be published and voted on by the council in February.