onionbagblog

With spare land being at such a premium around Wivenhoe, it is with a tremendous amount of shame that the developer that owns the small plot at the base of 58 Queens Road allows it to remain in ruin.

I understand that approaches have been made by the Queens Road Residents Association, and Transition Town Wivenhoe on behalf of QRRA, to utilise the spare space for a community garden on a temporary basis.

Both requests weren’t rejected - they weren’t even replied to: Shame upon the developer.

The economy may be buggered, but community spirit certainly isn’t. Avoiding the phrase *shhh* Big Society, but isn’t this is what is meant when we are told that we are all in this together?

QRRA isn’t after permanent possession of the small plot - simply temporary access to make the space more sustainable and attractive until funds are in place to build upon the development.

You only need to look across to the splendour of the Station Master’s Garden to see what can be achieved with genuine community co-operation. TTW is now in its second year of voluntarily attending and growing produce around the small patch.

The previous empty space harvests a considerable crop each summer. Commuters are rewarded for persisting with the pain that is a NXEA commute with free random offerings of fruit and veg, whenever it becomes available.

Meanwhile up at Queens Road and the space is starting to look like an eyesore. The AGM of the QRRA takes place this weekend, very kindly hosted in a private garden of one of the residents. How charming it would have been if the barren patch of land could have been cleaned up and used.

And developers wonder why so many locals view their motives with such cynicism…?