A war of words has broken between angry locals and the council after they were ordered to remove plant pots over health and safety concerns.
Residents in The Webster Triangle, Wavertree, have been asked by Liverpool City Council to get rid of the plants as it is claimed they are blocking pavements.
The plants are in front of demolished buildings at 44-52 Garrick Street after structural issues. This has remained a gated piece of land with no access for the locals.
The community planting started eight months ago when fly-tipped products were up-cycled and used as planters. This then led to the residents coming together every month to hold a community clean-up. Resident, Chris Jenkins, told JMU Journalism: “The clean-ups started when someone left a fly-tipped cement mixer on the street and I put a plant in it.”
The Webster Triangle is a neglected area of Liverpool where the famous £1 houses have been sold. Tenants say they are trying to regenerate the area and make it a pleasant place to live and the council’s decision to remove the plants has been met with outrage.
Twitter: Aoife Monahan
Interview with @WebsTriangle residents Chris and Leon regarding the council wanting the community pavement garden removed. @JMUJournalism pic.twitter.com/2lHmewhEdP
— Aoife Monahan (@AoifeMonahan6) November 25, 2019
Liverpool City Council issued a written notice to the community asking them to move the display or they would be disposed of. Mr Jenkins told JMU Journalism: “The reason they gave in writing was that when cars park on the pavement it makes the footpath narrower. We have left more than 130cm of space for wheelchair and pram access.”
The Council has put forward the idea of moving the pavement garden to a different location. However, residents are against this as the suggested location is on the side of the busy Smithdown Road.
A council statement issued on Twitter said: “We are brokering a compromise with the community whereby we will fund planters and identify suitable locations and make sure they are covered under our public liability insurance in case people trip or hurt themselves.”