A town's sustainable planting experiment has paid off, bringing with it bright blooms while saving money from the public purse.

Deal Town Council's green-fingered strategy this year saw staff and contractors test whether sustainable species could survive the wind-blown salty air around the coast.

The benefits if they did would mean less maintenance, reduced carbon output and a florally beautified seafront and High Street for all to enjoy.

"It was a risk worth taking," said Cllr Susan Carlyle, who joined mayor Cllr Chris Turner on a walkabout to assess the trial's progress.

"Despite the recent bad weather with rainstorms and wind our plants have survived and are flourishing with people beginning to notice the difference," she added.

It comes as the world received a 'code red for humanity' warning today after a UN report gave a stark warning over climate change.

The document claims human behaviour has unequivocally contributed to global warming and proceeds a climate summit in November.

Deal is among all three of the district's town councils make their own declaration on climate change. Dover District Council has done the same.

Since this was signed in 2019 the authority hopes that sustainable planting is adopted in other parts of the town.

After the walkabout, the mayor said thanked the contractors and staff involved in planting the containers and baskets in Deal.

He said: "We pride ourselves on welcoming visitors to our town, and we hope they enjoy the colourful planting as much as we do."

Plants include hardy varieties for Deal's windy weather and salty air such as sea thrift, sedum, verbena boneseuras, grasses from New Zealand.

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