© South Wales Evening Post - 10 September 2005
The row over the decision to rip planters from one of Swansea's busiest shopping streets is growing. City traders have described the decision as a kick in the teeth for businesses.
And they claimed the move was giving in to the vandals who have targeted the planters.
On Thursday, the Post revealed that Swansea Council has decided to remove the ornate planters which have been a feature of Oxford Street for years.
The council said it was being forced to scrap them because they were being repeatedly attacked by vandals.
Council leader Chris Holley: "It is a great shame that mindless vandals are wrecking some of our efforts to make the city centre a more attractive location.
"To continue replacing these planters only for them to be vandalised again and again is not only costly, it is also counter-productive if visitors are confronted with vandalised planters and destruction."
He said it was not a case of giving into the vandals; adding that "there comes a point when you have to say 'enough is enough'.
"Every time we replace these planters there is a cost to the people of Swansea."
But traders said the move was a blow to the city centre which is already struggling to cope with fierce competition from out-of-town retailers.
Swansea Independent Traders' Association chairman Peter Birch said: "We want to make Swansea an interesting, welcoming, vibrant place for people to visit.
"The planters are an important part of making the city a nicer place to come and shop and spend time.
"We are talking about people's livelihoods - businesses are in real difficulty.
"The people in charge really need to do something to get shoppers back into town."
Long-term Oxford Street trader David Hardwidge agreed that action needed to be taken.
Mr Hardwidge has owned Reed's Bakers for more than 30 years.
"Something needs to be done to halt the decline in Oxford Street," he said.
"The street looks dowdy and uninviting. It is a shame the planters couldn't be properly maintained.
"All too often I would come to work and have to clean up the mess vandals had made of the plants.
"In May this year the planters were filled with posh box shrubs in an effort to make the city more up-market. But within weeks five of the shrubs, which cost £45 each, were destroyed by vandals.
