Swindon Council to return flowers due to hosepipe ban
Swindon Borough Council has said it plans to send back its order of spring bulbs and plants following the hosepipe ban.
The authority has £10,000 worth of plants on order but says its spring planting scheme is unlikely to go ahead because it will be "unable to water plants, trees and flower bedding".
The town's autumn planting scheme is also unlikely to go ahead.
Fountains and water features will also be switched off by the council.
Richard Fisher, head of the council run StreetSmart Service, said: "We can't look after them - we need a lot of water to make sure their roots will go out properly and won't just turn brown straight away.
"We have ordered them - there's £10,000 worth of bulbs and plants - but our current intention is not to have those planted."
A council spokesman said it was permitted to take water from lakes and ponds, such as Coate Water, but had decided not to do this on environmental grounds "as it could create more problems in future if rainfall levels do not improve".