Council ban gnomes from balconies in elf and safety crackdown

Potted plants, gnomes and ceramic ducks are to be banned from high rise balconies – for fear they may fall on pedestrians.

High winds and unsecured fixings have been blamed for a number of near misses with falling flower pots on a Hove estate. Brighton and Hove City Council has now written to neighbors in the high rise blocks in Clarendon Road, Hove, telling them to remove objects from the ledges on their outside areas.

Bosses advised that any remaining ornaments should be securely tied to ensure they do not budge in windy conditions.

The ruling means pot plants, lights, gnomes and even ceramic ducks spotted basking in the sun could be starved of fresh air in the future. The local authority said the decision was taken after two instances of plants falling and one where a pedestrian was nearly hit.