Proposal for a community garden at Chapel Street/Gordon Avenue (the old Community Centre site)

Meeting held at Madina Mosque, Barlow Rd, Sunday 10th June 2007 at 12.00 noon

Present: 40 people. Meeting chaired by David Mottram, Acting Secretary, Levenshulme Community Association, and supporter of Friends of Levenshulme. The meeting was being held to coincide with an open day at the Mosque, and attendance included members of the Mosque and other local people. Councillors John Commons (Levenshulme ward) and John Bridges & Charles Glover (Gorton South) were also present.

1. Following the successful event at the old community centre site on 7th May, including planting of flowers, shrubs, etc, there is enthusiasm for exploring options for establishing a community garden there. Rachel Skelton described a proposal for improvement of Chapel Street Park, and a bid for a ‘Cash Grant’ from the City Council for the purpose. If permission was obtained from the City Council for use of the old community centre site as a garden/green space - they own the land - the project could complement the proposal for Chapel Street Park in helping to regenerate the neighbourhood.

2. Jamie Summers, from Delamere Neighbourhood Group, described some background ideas for the community garden - or ‘peace garden’ - proposal. It could be developed as a peaceful and quite space, including an Islamic component in the design to reflect the place of Muslims in the Levenshulme community. He had already met a development worker from the Black Environment Network at the site, who believes that the space has great potential and that there are a variety of possible sources of funding available.

3. During discussion there was support and enthusiasm for going ahead with plans for a garden on the site, recognising the need for the fullest participation of local people - including immediate neighbours of the site and members of minority ethnic communities - and bearing in mind that there is no certainty that the site will be released for this purpose by the City Council. It was the strong feeling of the meeting, though, that it is important to go ahead quickly with developing the community garden plan and securing support in order to reduce the risk that the site will be sold off for building development.

4. From the meeting three other themes emerged:
(a) The garden proposal is important because it re-claims the space for a community facility after the loss of the community centre. The land is of great symbolic importance, and we must put forward a well-supported and positive proposal for its use.

(b) The design of the garden will need to be flexible to allow for the possibility that the site will be re-developed in future for other community use (e.g. a community centre). It is perfectly possible to reflect this in the detailed design proposal.

(c) On 7th May local people demonstrated their commitment to the site by their voluntary contributions. There is evidence of volunteer support available to develop and maintain the site, including the strong support of the committee of the Madina Mosque.

5. The meeting concluded by identifying possible membership of a working group to develop the proposal further in coming weeks. It should include members from the two directly adjacent residents’ associations - Cromwell Grove & Chapel Street and Delamere Neighbourhood Group - and the secretary of the Mosque. An immediate neighbour of the site is a landscape designer and he will be invited to join. Rachel Skelton will also be a member – this will help co-ordination with the Chapel Street Park proposal. Others are welcome to contribute.

6. Finally, the meeting agreed that the key to progress is to develop clarity about the shape of the proposal, and to have the will to make it succeed. We could develop and promote ideas for the community garden with an event on the site. Finding funding sources is a secondary concern, because there is great potential for funding. We recognised that we cannot guarantee securing the right to use the site for a community garden, but that we can increase the chances of success by actively involving diverse local people and building public support for the proposal.

Amended 14th June 2007