Town under fire over flagging Jubilee effort

Buy photos » Chris Sutton says Alcester is how Redditch should have been decorated to mark the Diamond Jubilee. Picture by Marcus Mingins 2312027MMR2

THE BOROUGH council and town centre traders have come under fire for their lack of patriotic decorations during the Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

Chris Sutton, who runs Reddi Appliances, said he was disgusted with the lack of bunting and flags displayed in the town centre and lack of effort by businesses around Church Green, Market Place and Alcester Street to dress up their windows.

The former chairman of the Redditch branch of the Market Traders Federation said: “I’m really appalled that there was no bunting, flags or decorations in Redditch. Sixty years ago everyone decorated their shops and businesses, and the centre showed how proud it was.

“But this time there seems to be no effort or attempt by the council and shops, which is genuinely saddening.

“If it was football all of a sudden you would have St George’s flags flying everywhere. It was a one-off thing, we won’t get the chance to do it again.”

Mr Sutton pointed to Alcester as an example of what Redditch should have looked like although its decorations were paid for largely by traders with only a small contribution from Alcester Town Council.

A spokeswoman for Redditch Borough Council said they had a limited budget and bunting was only a small part of that.

“Traders were welcome to help decorate their shops and business too, to add even more colour into the town,” she said.

“The council, through its grants scheme, not only funded several street parties across the borough but put on a host of activities on the Bank Holiday Sunday including a Farmers’ market, brass band and even a big screen so the national coverage could be enjoyed by everyone.”

The Jubilee Sunday celebrations were also hit by torrential rain but despite the weather members of Redditch Lions, which were celebrating their 40th anniversary still managed to give out more than 400 free cakes and cups of tea.

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