In 2018 Penrose Parc was definitely looking neglected – it is CC owned but wasn’t on their mowing schedule and was rapidly turning into a forgotten patch of scrub land and an eyesore at the entrance to the Live West housing Association estate. Once upon a time it was a play-park but when the equipment started breaking CC dismantled it but left the fence, until that too needed removal.
It was an ideal site for a Community Garden but there were quite a few ‘hoops to jump through’ before we could start work.
Firstly, their preferred option of transferring land ownership to the Town Council was not suitable because the level of Council oversight and authority was exactly the same. Secondly, we proved that CC were not maintaining it anyway so what was to lose? And thirdly, our request was in total agreement with CC’s own Localism Policy. So we are now maintaining it under Licence to CC at a peppercorn rent.
