In the period since September 1998 there a considerable amount of work has been done on finding alternative uses for the land. A public meeting in January 1999 endorsed outline proposals put forward by the local GLOBE (Agenda 21) group. These were worked up and a further public meeting in July 1999 endorsed suggestions that New Opportunity Funding should be sought to support the project. Since then the National Playing Fields Society has agreed that such a project would come within their brief and that subject to the agreement of the land-lord they could assist with the establishment of a new Trust of stake-holders to look after the land. They indicated that it would appear that such a project would be an appropriate use of their funds, and that other criteria were unlikely to be an obstacle. Proposals provide for more allotments, including ones of different sizes, and for the use of some land for therapeutic purposes such as a sensory garden. These proposals are well founded, and useful local contacts have been established with relevant charities such as Thrive’ and ‘Choices’. Users of the Victoria Recreation Ground have been contacted to involve them in establishing priorities. Further discussions have been curtailed until the landlord is willing to entertain the possibility of short/medium term letting or else to release the land for sale at a reasonable price.
