Residents call for full public consultation after Sheffield community garden is fenced off

Residents in Crookes were furious and upset when a plot of green space at Cobden View Road was suddenly fenced off.

They are now fighting plans to build 18 apartments and three commercial units on the site and have collected a petition with almost 673 names.

Local resident Marion Taylor asked the council's Cabinet for a full consultation.

"The green space has been an open space for as long as anyone can remember.

"Around 14 years ago a group from St Thomas' Church, with permission from the landowner, started a community garden project and planted spring bulbs, flowers and shrubs in the borders and installed a bench and maintained the grass.

"The care was passed to another Crookes community group from St Timothy's Church and they carried on maintaining the plot, adding to the planting and mowing the grass.

"There were five trees, a number of established shrubs and a variety of flora and fauna and it was of interest to the Sheffield Biological Records Centre.

"The plot was sold in February and with no warning or consultation the new owner's contractors arrived on the Sunday of the May bank holiday and erected a solid wooden fence of 8ft around the perimeter which restricted our access to the community garden and to the footpath.

"Residents were able to quickly salvage some of the flowers and plants before the site was fully enclosed and some of the vegetation was destroyed."

Ms Taylor said the petition showed the strength of feeling of residents.

"The site is highly visible and passed by hundreds of people daily. It offers a pleasant view to people and people have held picnics on it and there was a maze mown in it one summer for children to follow.

"It marks the start of the shopping area and is mirrored by another green space at the other end of the High Street."

Cabinet said the planning committee would take the petition into account.

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