Wavertree Residents outraged over council plans to remove community garden.

Wavertree Residents are outraged at council plans to remove their community garden, over health and safety concerns.

Liverpool City Council were concerned about hanging planters, which have now been removed, however now the council want all planters removed due to them being a ‘highway obstruction’.

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The community have spent over the past eight months working on a small garden area in the Garrick Street area of Wavertree. The plants serve as a cover up to an area of derelict land, which is often covered in rubbish and is currently not accessible to the community.

Webster's Triangle Community Garden: Image A Allen

Local resident Chris Jenkins said: “The plants serve as a front to a depressing empty space in the middle of the street that was created when the council ripped out 5 houses, installed crash barriers, tarmacked over, gated up and locked up ever since.

The community have responded very well to the garden and there are herbs for people to use. With all the building works going on, it has been difficult for children here to play in the street, but the organised planting-up sessions have enabled them to do so alongside the adults where they play, paint draw and gain an interest in the environment.”

The sessions often see thirty people coming together to clean up the area and develop the garden.

Local residents Leon Jakeman & Chris Jenkins: Image A Allen

Garrick Street is part of the Webster’s Triangle, which in recent years has been part of Liverpool City Council’s ‘House for a Pound’ incentive.

The area was also featured in a Channel 4 documentary which brought attention to the area from the national press.

Local residents feel that Liverpool City Council now use the area as a ‘publicity tool’.

Leon Jakeman, of Garrick Street said: “More and more people are wanting to know what's happening and how they can be involved. Now we set up a social front, this is about everyone in the community and bringing everyone together.”

A similar project on nearby Granby Street is very successful and continues to bring the community together. Paul Johnston,Communications Officer at Liverpool City Council said: “We are brokering a compromise with the community whereby we will fund planters and identify suitable locations and make sure they are covered under our public liability insurance in case people trip or hurt themselves.”