I ASSUME Herefordshire Council will be sending a representative to the Britain’s Smart Cities conference in Manchester on October 21?

The communities and residents of Hereford have just helped the city gain its third consecutive Gold Award from the Britain in Bloom judges and if we are to progress Hereford’s interest in City of Culture 2021, we will need to very much alter council’s attitude by 2017, when decisions will be made by the enquiry panel.

Of course it is not entirely down to council; their contractor Balfour Beatty Living Spaces have just announced that from the many millions of pounds paid to them by Hereford- shire Council, they will not be able to afford to remove this summer’s planting, do general maintenance on the flowerbeds and carry out winter and summer planting and maintenance.

This will mean that we, a small local charity, with an income from local sponsorship of just over £20,000 will have to find in the region of £100,000 if we take into account the purchase of plants and watering.

We do get support from others, led valiantly by Hereford City Council, for which we thank them all, but it will not reach the necessary figure, so not only is our future in doubt, but also the height of the weeds.

TREVOR SWINDELLS Chairman Hereford in Bloom