TAVISTOCK's pioneering green garden project is in danger of collapse following a decision on where to place it in the town. Last week town councillors decided the project steering group should be offered a patch of land in the town's Bannawell Street open space area, instead of in the Meadows. But the offer has infuriated town mayor Caroline Keane, a member of the group and enthusiastic backer of the project. She said: 'I am very disappointed with this, to put it mildly. The council already knew what the group needed to work with — it needed level ground, easy access, to be close to schools and accessible for disabled people. 'Bannawell Street is up a hill and it isn't near the centre of town. The whole point was to attract people to it and turn it into quite a feature. 'The public has supported this so enthusiastically, people have told me they were so pleased it was happening, the works department was very supportive and excited to be part of the project. I am not happy at all with this decision.' Cllr Keane said she was sad that the council was missing 'a fantastic opportunity' to be seen to be adopting a greener attitude and she doubted the garden project could go ahead if Bannawell Street was the only option. The council's properties committee heard the project group had investigated various pieces of land. Their preferred location was the northern end of Pearce's Meadow. Cllr Robin Pike said he disagreed with the use of this area. 'This is going to be a working garden, a training garden — it's not going to be an ornamental garden,' said Cllr Pike. 'I would have thought Bannawell Street was ideal. Wherever we offer them space, it's prime ground. I think we've got to the situation where we offer them a parcel of land and say "take it or leave it".' Cllr David Best said he would prefer the green garden to be situated on land the council owned in Dolvin Road, as it would not interfere with people who used Pearce's Meadow to walk their dogs. Cllr Mandy Govier said: 'I don't agree with it going in Pearce's Meadow. It's not as if it's going to look like the pleasure gardens at Eastbourne or Brighton. 'Bannawell Street or an allotment would be much better.' Cllr Govier was also concerned that council works staff had enough to do without taking on extra duties concerned with the green garden. Town clerk Roger Howard said the green garden group had concerns about parking in Bannawell Street. He said there was already a waiting list for allotments so this was not a feasible option and the Dolvin Road site was rejected as it had too many tree roots and was too shady. Col Howard agreed if a member of the works department was engaged on duties in the green garden, he would have to hire replacement staff for other council duties. He said: 'The group believe they will be able to fund this sort of thing from grants.' The committee agreed to offer the green garden project a patch of land at the rear of the Bannawell Street play area, subject to the steering group producing a business plan and formal constitution.
