RESIDENTS in Ludlow Town Centre have won a sixth successive award from the Royal Horticultural Society but say that it will be the last at least for the time being.

It is testimony to the green fingers and enthusiasm of people living in Lower Broad Street.

‘The Street’ has entered the RHS “It’s your neighbourhood” competition for six years running and has won ‘Level 5 Outstanding’ each year.

Nearly everyone in ‘The Street’ enjoys filling their pots, tubs, planters and hanging baskets with many different varieties of green and colourful flowering plants to make the pavement a beautiful place to walk down out of town or back up again or just to sit and chat on one of the several benches.

Some of the people who live along the Vineyard or the other cottages just off “The Street” have no garden but enjoy looking after plants growing out on the pavement.

There is a wide range of age groups living in and around the vicinity of Lower Broad Street, from new born babies, primary and secondary school children and many older working adults and retirees.

Children have been involved in planting and taking care of planters. They also enjoy pumpkin decorating at this time of year.

“However the real reason that people living here become involved and spend hours tending and beautifying ‘The Street,’ is the pleasure that they enjoy being here and the comments of visitors who greatly appreciate the prettiness of our part of town,” said Tim Gill, Mayor of Ludlow.

But now a change in the rules means that the residents of Lower Broad Street will not be going for seven in a row.

“The RHS is now trying to encourage more communities to work together to improve their surroundings by focusing on environmental improvements by creating insect friendly habitats, saving water using rainwater tubs and recycling water, also propagating their own plants,” added Tim Gill.

“While all of these are admirable qualities to develop we don’t feel that water tubs in “The Street” for instance would not be wise for safety reasons.

“So it is for this reason that at a “Street” Meeting it was decided not to enter the competition next year but just to continue enjoying the plants.”

The success of people living in and around Lower Broad Street has been achieved alongside a remarking run of glory by the Lower in Bloom Campaign that won its eleventh gold this year.