The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Garden twist in land battle
A BATTLE over a strip of private land has taken another twist after residents revealed they hired workmen to clear the site in a bid to create a community garden.
The ET reported last week how a number of residents in Eastleigh Road, Peterborough, were left outraged after a group of men went onto a strip of land between Eastleigh Road and Padholme Road, belonging to Cross Keys Homes, and started chopping down plants and trees.
Hilda Hamilton, of Eastleigh Road, claimed the men did not speak English but believed they were clearing the site to build property while Cross Keys Homes had pledged to take legal action.
However Bryan Fox, from the recently-formed Padholme Road Residents’ Association, said that he had hired Lithuanian workmen to carry out some clearance work but denied any trees had been chopped down or removed aside from some “dangerous stumps”.
He said he had spoken to other residents in Padholme Road before starting the work.
(METP-09-05-12RH8) He said: “What we want to do is create a community garden full of beautiful plants and wildlife. I hired the workmen to clean up the site but I don’t want any trees to be chopped down.
“The reality of the situation is that Cross Keys have failed to properly maintain the site. There is rubbish and fly-tipping dumped all over the place, there is human waste and general filth - it’s disgusting.”
Mr Fox added that the association wants to buy the land off Cross Keys Homes and turn it into a garden to be used by Padholme Road residents.
He said: “We are really passion- ate about this project and want to get the ball rolling. Cross Keys have neglected this land and don’t seem to be bothered about it. I hope we can come to some sort of arrangement and turn an eyesore into something pretty.”
A Cross Key Homes spokeswoman said: “We have been and will continue to maintain the land, as we do with all our sites.
“We are currently looking at a number of possible long-term options for the land.
“We would like to stress the land belongs to us and we will be looking to take legal action against anyone who is found to have trespassed on the site.”