SOMERSET NEWS: Community garden work pays off

FOUR years of work on a personal project to improve an area of Bridgwater has paid off for PC Anthony Freeman after it was officially opened last week.

More than £10,000 was raised by PC Freeman and spent on creating a community garden for West Street – a place he has already helped improve with a £16,500 project to install a CCTV camera.

PC Freeman said: “There was an area in the street which was very drab and run down which I decided to change and give the residents somewhere nice to sit as many do not have gardens.

“I hope the garden will go a long way to improving the feeling of community around West Street and we’ve already seen that in the way a lot of people have come together to create it.”

A variety of sources including police, council and Homes in Sedgemoor community funds were used to fund it.

A competition to design a mural was held at Haygrove School, and it was painted by some pupils from there, as well as St Joseph’s and St Mary’s primary schools. Children from Westover Green School planted the shrubs and local businesses helped support the project to keep it to budget.

The mural is a depiction of the town fair for which the street is closed for four days every year, and the garden sits on a bridge above the Taunton and BridgwaterCanal so it has a canal theme with two mock lock gates as its main feature.

Bridgwater Neighbourhood Inspector Andrew Pritchard said: “This is an excellent example of communities and organisations coming together to improve the areas where we live and work. The garden looks fantastic and is a reflection and of the hard work from all those involved.”

The garden was officially opened by the Mayor of Bridgwater Cllr Steve Austen on October 8, 2014.

Tags:
News.