Delight as council backs down and re-opens Kettering community garden

A council has U-turned on a plan to tear down installations at a Kettering community garden – and has removed fencing which had blocked access to it.

Residents had spoken of their fury after North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) promised to rip out a rose arbour and waterfall at sheltered housing complex Tudor Court.

They had spent two months staring at fencing which had been put around them after NNC claimed the installations were unauthorised and unsafe.

But now those living at the Alexandra Street site can enjoy all garden areas again after the local authority removed the fencing and backed down on their plan to remove the installations.

Tudor Court resident Val Richardson thanked the Northants Telegraph for raising their plight.

She said: "It’s made a hell of a difference. We’ve now got something to look out on and a place to sit down to socialise where we can have BBQs.”

The installations were carried out by Nigel White, who lives at Tudor Court and worked in the building trade for more than 40 years.

He came up with the idea and spent about £1,500 of his own money on the project. He insisted that he was given verbal permission to carry out the work.

During the Covid lockdown he created the waterfall – which council staff later cut the leads to – in an outdoor space behind a communal room. Then, in August last year, he put up the arbour structures in a space at the front for rose and jasmine plants, before adding timber to strengthen them.

But in February council workers fenced both areas off – which had become a tranquil place for residents – before Nigel could finish the project.

Now, after a meeting with residents, NNC has re-opened the garden areas again and will not be removing the installations as it had planned.

Cllr Matt Binley, North Northamptonshire Council’s executive member for housing, communities and levelling up, said: “I and council officers met with residents of Tudor Court because as a listening council we wanted to hear what they had to say and to try and find a solution.

“After carrying out an inspection and a residents engagement session, we are pleased to advise that we have agreed to carry out work so that it is safe to remove the fencing and residents can have access to all garden areas.

“We are also carrying out further inspections to the fountain to work with residents to ensure it is safe.

“We will be working with HMP Five Wells and the Probation Service’s community payback scheme to make the pergola secure and provide additional raised flower beds to the area in agreement with residents.

“It was wonderful to meet with the residents and work with them to a satisfactory resolution, to enable them to continue to enjoy their home and green garden areas.”