A new community garden could be created in east Reading after locals were left “devastated” when the council mowed down wildflowers on a patch of green space.
Neighbours in Newtown were shocked to find the patch of grass on the cut through between Cumberland Road and Amity Road in Newtown had been destroyed by council workers last month.
Residents are now planning a new community garden at the patch of grass on the cut through between Cumberland Road and Amity Road in Newtown.
READ MORE: Council mows down community flower patch
Newtown Community Garden would be a rewilding project which aims to create a safe and welcoming place for people to meet.
Leslee Barron, a local resident who co-ordinated the group’s first meeting, said: “We care about where we live and hope to make it a safe and welcoming place for people to come to meet up, have lunch, do some gardening, even have events like the Big Lunch there.
“We want to encourage people living on their own and the elderly, who live nearby, to get involved too.
“Even if they just come for a chat and a cuppa. Feel free to come and join us. We meet on the last Sunday of the month, between 11am and 2pm.”
The group says its dreams for the garden are:
- Rewilding, meadow flowers, bee-friendly plants and fruit bushes
- Planters, benches and bird feeders
- A space for street parties, drama and open-air exercise (e.g. tai chi)
Residents expressed their sadness last month when they found the council had mowed down flowers at the green patch.
Reading Borough Council (RBC) said the flower patch was mowed down because there was no official agreement between residents and the council to retain the space as a wildflower area.
A council spokesman said the mowing down of the flower patch was “obviously highly regrettable” and said it was due to the full process not being followed to set up a local wildflower area.
Ms Barron said: “We were devastated when we saw that RBC subcontractors had mown down the flowers.
“We confess that we didn’t have permission to plant the wildflowers in the first place, but we assumed it wouldn’t have been an issue.
“Sadly, we have fly-tipping issues in that area too. The general thought is that if the site looks maintained and cared for, it will deter the fly-tippers.”
The group has raised funds to buy two CCTV cameras and signs, which residents have agreed to host on their properties.
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It now wants RBC to remove the area from its mowing rota and register the land as a rewilding project.
The council said it would be “very happy” to speak to local residents about including the area in its official re-wilding programme as long as there is consensus among neighbours.
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