Iconic rocker Brian May blocked from growing daffodils on his village green after council said flowers posed safety risk
BRIAN May has been banned from planting daffodils on his village green after the local council said they could pose a safety risk.
The former Queen rocker planned to donate bulbs for his village green in Elstead, Surrey, but the local council have blocked him.
Elstead parish council said the yellow flowers would obstruct the line of sight of nearby traffic.
The authority added that the daffodils would prevent locals crossing the green and disrupt accessibility.
The 78-year-old’s request was therefore rejected as the council said it had “a responsibility to balance community initiatives with safety”.
Speaking to the Farnham Herald, Sir Brian said: “We’re struggling to imagine how 18-inch stalks could [obstruct] anyone’s view, especially when the green is normally surrounded by parked vehicles including a 7ft-high ice cream van.”
The guitarist hoped the village green would be another success after he previously planted 3,000 bulbs on the green outside St James’s Church.
Jeremy Hunt, the Conservative MP for Godalming and Ash praised “Elstead’s most famous resident Sir Brian May and his brilliant team of planters for supplying and planting the stunning daffodils for Elstead green”.
The council countered that the village green and the church green were “two very different areas”.
It added that the church green was “more amenable to daffodil planting”.
Jenny Littledale, a local resident, said: “How sad that something so lovely has been turned down for such a ridiculous reason.”
Jenny Else, another Elstead resident and former Waverley borough councillor, said the locals wishes hadn’t been considered.
She continued: “Perhaps a vote should have been taken. There has been so much interest in the proposal.”
Ms Else said that when she had seen a sketch of the proposed area for the flowers, she didn’t think sight lines were under threat.
“There is a large area for any community gatherings during the daffodil season and good pedestrian access,” she added.
Sir Brian shared the news on a blog post, he wrote: “I’ve been quite thrilled to get so many happy comments from the village about this year’s display.
“Probably the best part of it all has been the friends I’ve made here in Elstead.
“And of course thanks to our parish council for giving me the permission to donate spring beauty to our community!
“We were all hoping to adorn the main village green for next spring… But sadly the parish council last night rejected my plan.”
A council spokesperson said: “Elstead parish council welcomes and proactively supports community planting and is extremely grateful to the volunteers who put time and care into projects like this.
“The parish council has a duty to balance the practical usage of our green along with the views of our residents.
“The main village green is used in several ways throughout the year. It hosts key community events, is crossed regularly on foot and is valued by some as an open space.
“As a council, we have said that we very much welcome further discussion about these options and thank everyone involved for their enthusiasm and ideas.”
The spokesman told The Telegraph that the issue had been “portrayed in one way when it’s not actually that at all”. The negative response to the ruling got “out of hand” they added.