A TOWN Council has been dealt a blow after being told it cannot put up plaques sponsoring their hanging baskets.

Rayleigh Town Council wanted to put up 26 plaques above the baskets which hang from 13 lamp posts in Websters Way car park, part of Rayleigh Conservation Area.

The white acrylic plaques would have the names of people sponsoring that particular floral display.

But, to the dismay of town councillors, their district counterparts, one of whom branded the signs “cheap and nasty”, narrowly voted against the proposal by 12 to 10 at a meeting on Thursday evening.

The former town chairman Dave Sperring said the town council decided to put up the baskets to brighten up the car park.