AN exciting project to create an innovative community garden in Tavistock is still under discussion, following a meeting in the town last week. Town councillors were briefed on possible situations for the Tavistock Green Garden project by garden designer Sue Fisher – but said they had concerns the area could be vandalised. Tavistock mayor Caroline Keane has initiated the project and said the garden would be based on ecologically sustainable methods of gardening and act as a showcase to interested residents and visitors to the town. The land the steering group wishes to use is in Pearse's Meadow, owned by the town council. The steering group hopes to be able to grow vegetables and sell compost from the garden as a way of making profit, in order to put money back into the garden fund. Mrs Fisher said: 'We want the garden to look beautiful as well as practical. We will have a section of compost and bins, an area for promoting recycling of other items, but of course we want it to look lovely. 'We are very keen to include the schools as they are our future gardeners. We also want to encourage wildlife into the garden by including plants which will attract wildlife.' Cllr Mandy Govier asked Mrs Fisher if she had thought about vandalism at the site, and what could be done to protect the garden. Mrs Fisher said: 'A lot of the funding will be taken up by fencing to protect the area. Some vandals are determined so we wouldn't have buildings with glass — there will be no locked sheds and buildings. 'What we want to do is involve schools to get children to take part and care for the area — which will hopefully discourage the vandals of the future.' It was proposed a 5ft metal fence was put around the area to deter vandals. Cllr Govier said: 'Every week there is a lot of vandalism in the Meadows and nothing would be more disheartening for people who put hard work into the garden, to then find it gone. 'A penned garden at the Meadows would be something, but if it does get vandalised on a regular basis, people will lose heart. I want to be realistic with the problems we have each week in the Meadows.' Cllr Alison Clish-Green said: 'People don't like metal fencing. The area has always been open. 'I can go with the idea, but anything like a fence, especially a 5ft one, I can't go with.' Most members were in favour of the garden going ahead but they had reservations about how the garden would be protected. Cllr Norma Woodcock said councillors should have a look at the proposed site so they could visualise what the area would look like with fencing and see if the garden would be better towards the end of Pearse's Meadow, by Plymouth Road. Councillors agreed this proposal and suggested they also look at another possible site for the Green Garden Project — Bannawell Street open space which is currently used by dog walkers. They will report back to the next finance and general purpose meeting at the end of April.
