The scale of cuts facing local authorities mean some very difficult decisions have to be made, and obviously councils will prioritise certain essential areas ahead of others that might seem to be less so.

On the face of it, reducing the amount of money spent on something that is ostensibly cosmetic such as floral displays might some to be one of the areas most vulnerable to reductions in funding.

That seems to be the thought-process behind Bradford Council's decision to slash the district's floral displays by a third and shut down its horticultural nursery.

But these displays are about so much more than simply making towns and villages look pretty. They help instil feelings of pride and a sense of community for local residents.

And regardless of whether there is a legitimate argument that this sort of expenditure is fair game for cuts when looking at the overall picture, it does seem that slashing about 80 per cent of floral displays is more than a little disproportionate.

There is also the human cost of the jobs that will be lost by the nursery closure, including some valuable roles for disabled staff provided under a support scheme.

It is possible that local groups including organisations like town and parish councils could also become more involved in providing and maintaining floral displays.

But not all communities have such representation and it is likely to see only certain areas enjoying the many benefits of attractive floral arrangements and hanging baskets.

Cuts have to be made, but is such savage pruning of this particular service really necessary?