Last March, Salford Deputy Mayor, Paula Boshell, signed a decision made in secret, with absolutely no notice to the community and no details in the public domain (apart from the location) to flog the forest garden on East Philip Street in Greengate to Urban Splash for housing.
Furious councillors and members of the community were appalled and the decision was subsequently 'called in' and rescinded at the Council's Growth and Prosperity Scrutiny Panel in April.*
The site, next to the Paradise Works artists' studios owned by Urban Splash, was originally part of the failed and doomed £400,000 Biospheric Project, which initially built the forest garden with volunteers but after the project ceased in 2015 it became heavily overgrown and vacant.*
Now, Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett is to consider four proposals for the garden at the Property and Regeneration Briefing next week. These are...
Sale to Urban Splash on unconditional basis
Sale to Urban Splash once redevelopment proposals advanced
Retain for use by the community
Retain use by community for an initial 12 month period thereafter use subject to review
The latter option is recommended, although, as the Council report states, there's 'no guarantee that funding will be secured' and 'no guarantee of continued community support'...
There's also £10,000 worth of 'contamination issues' (which is strange as the site was passed fit as a forest garden a few years ago) that the Council won't pay for, and the community would be liable for maintenance of the site.
Councillor Critchley, who originally opposed the sale to Urban Splash, is quoted in the report as stating "that clarity would be needed over the community's responsibility for the site particularly relating to unforeseen and significant issues, for example illegal encampment, fallen trees, fly tipping of large items etc..."
Nowhere in the report does it state which group from the community is involved, nor who is organising the possible community takeover of the land. What is clear is that, whichever group it is will be given twelve months to sort out the site and 'develop proposals', then the City Mayor will review its future use.
In other words, he's kicked the potentially controversial sale into the long grass for a year...and the grass was very long there until the community got involved...
* For a full background see previous Salford Star articles...
Salford Councillors Call In Council Decision To Sell Community Forest Garden To Urban Splash click here
Salford Council Admits Lack Of Transparency Over Forest Garden Sale - click here
The £300,000 Weed Garden By The Irwell - click here
£400,000 Biospheric Project Goes Bust click here
.JPG)
(1).JPG)
(2).JPG)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
(3).jpeg)
.png)
(1).JPG)
