THOUSANDS-OF-POUNDS could be spent by Portishead Town Council to ensure colourful flower displays remain in the town.

The proposal comes after North Somerset Council announced in July that it will no longer fund the installation and maintenance of flowers and bedding across the district from next April.

In Portishead, the unitary authority currently provides and maintains 83 hanging baskets, 19 troughs and about 312sqm of planted bedding.

Now, the town council will consider whether it should take on the funding for the scheme.

Town clerk Martin Dolton has held discussions with members of Portishead in Bloom, the voluntary group that maintains some of the floral displays in the town, and North Somerset Council officers to work out how much this would cost.

It is believed about �14,000 per year would be needed from the beginning of the next financial year. Some money would also be taken from this year’s budget to pay for the flowers that need to be planted in time for next spring.

At a meeting of the town council’s recreation and works committee tonight (Wed) the councillors will be asked to discuss two options: doing nothing or spending the money on keeping the displays.

Any recommendation will then have to be approved by the full council on September 7.

If the council agrees to go ahead with the scheme, sponsorship from businesses would also be sought to help fund it and reduce the cost to the tax-payer.