Liverpool City Council has been working with local social enterprises Include Environmental Services, part of Plus Dane Housing, and Your Place, part of Riverside Housing, to make Kensington Fields bloom.
Four derelict sites on Kensington have been spruced up, with the creation of two new community gardens. The Central Ward councillors behind the scheme want the gardens to be used for planting and mini-allotments and have approached Kensington Fields Community Association about getting local young and older people involved in the upkeep.
These sites had been cleared several years ago by Kensington Regeneration and are intended to be developed some time in the future.
The funding for the work was obtained through planning gain receipts, showing how development in the area can help improve the environment of the whole area.
Local councillor Sharon Sullivan said, “These sites at the top of Kensington form one of the key gateways into the City Centre with thousands of people passing by every day. They were derelict sites that were an eyesore and a magnet for dumping and dog fouling. This project has really brightened up the whole area.
Councillor Nick Small said, “Most people living in the Kensington Fields area don’t have gardens. These community gardens will give people gardens they can sit in when the weather’s nice. People will also be able to grow their own flowers, plants and vegetables. I’d like to thank Include and Your Place for helping out with this. It’s great to see our local housing associations Plus Dane and Riverside being part of these projects.”
Councillor Christine Banks added, “Another aspect of this project will be getting people of different ages from across Kensington Fields working together. Cross-generational work like this really brings communities together.”
