Hamilton Council chiefs spend thousands on bonsai tree

Feb 4 2010 by John Rowbotham, Hamilton Advertiser

“SPENDAHOLIC” council chiefs were this week slammed as extravagant for splashing out up to £5000 on a bonsai tree.

The four-foot tree, thought to be between 60 and 70 years old, is the centrepiece of a sensory garden created at Hamilton’s Fairhill Lifestyles community centre.

In December, the Advertiser revealed that an internal courtyard at the £9m centre - opened in June, 2008 - was being ripped up to create the new garden.

At the time, it was thought that the work to put in raised beds, water walls and sculptures would cost about £50,000.

Now, the Advertiser understands that the final bill for project could be as much as £80,000.

And a proportion of that money has already been spent on the bonsai tree which was last week planted in a raised bed at the centre of the courtyard.

One centre user, who asked not to be named, said: “At a time when the council are cutting back in many areas, this seems a total extravagance.

“It is a beautiful tree, there is no getting away from that, but I want to know the identity of the ‘spendaholic ‘ official who sanctioned the spending of money I pay in Council Tax on this.

“It’s absolutely appalling and there are other people who use the centre who are of the same view.”

The Neilsland Road facility has a range of community facilities and is also a daycare centre for adults with learning or physical disability.

At its centre is a 156 square-metre courtyard which, when it opened, was monobloced and used by visitors.

It served as a cafe area and there was also a swing on which children could play.

To make way for the garden, new monoblocing was laid and spotlights were added to illuminate the £5000 bonsai tree.

There are now two raised beds, one with the bonsai tree, and a third with a water feature.

Council chiefs say work to create the garden was agreed following consultation with users of the centre who have a learning or physical disability, and their carers.

It was hoped that the garden would “add to the care and wellbeing of service users and improve their quality of life”.

Asked about the bonsai tree, a spokesman for the council said: “Fairhill Lifestyles is a £9m development for the residents of Fairhill.

“Nine external contractors were invited to tender, five of whom responded, and the lowest was accepted. This included trees and shrubbery as part of the overall cost.”

Bonsai, associated with China and Japan, is the art of growing trees, or plants shaped as trees, in pots.

l Do you think that the spending on the bonsai tree is justified or an extravagance in a time of austerity. Write to Hamilton Advertiser, Press Buildings, Campbell Street, Hamilton, ML3 6AX, or e-mail jrowbotham@s-un.co.uk