KEEPING Peebles flourishing following cuts to seasonal planting displays by Scottish Borders Council is going to cost a pretty penny.

It was revealed last week that if the community want to save the flowerbeds, tubs and hanging baskets under threat, they’ll need to dig deep to find £10,000 per year.

The local authority will no longer be planting displays with flowers and they are to be replaced with shrubs or herbaceous borders.

But Peebles Community Council and voluntary group Bonnie Peebles feel this will be detrimental to the town and have joined forces launching a flower power fundraising campaign.

So far community leaders have pledges of £3,000 and are sending out an appeal to businesses and residents to keep the town blooming with colour.

Chairman Les Turnbull said: “I have sent a formal letter to Neil Pringle of SBC telling him that the Community Council and Bonnie Peebles are willing and able to take on responsibility the flowerbeds that are at ask risk around the town. There are three small beds that will not be taken on and we’ve asked the council to deal with those.

“One of the principle issues is funding. At the last meeting I reported that we had pledges of £2,000. We have now received pledges of up to £3,000. I also mentioned that we might be making a call on the Common Good and possibly Area Partnership funding. The target that we have is about £10,000, and this will enable us to keep all the flowerbeds and the tubs around the town and still have hanging baskets on the High Street.”

Signs have been planted in flowerbeds around the town inviting volunteers to help with the community enterprise.

Mr Turnbull said the people that have pledged money have intimated that they will continue to offer funding annually.

He also said there were other “fairly large donors in the wings”.

Community councillor Alan Mackenzie asked if the local authority would still continue watering the plants as it had machinery to do the hanging baskets.

Mr Turnbull replied: “The flowerbeds themselves are not particularly an issue once they are planted. It’s the hanging baskets that are an issue and we are looking into that. It is an issue that is being addressed through our discussions.”