Manchester council says it is committed to creating a 'community asset' after a court order granted it possession of land which had been turned into a community farm.
Rosehill Community Farm and Garden (RCF) had leased the land, in Northenden, from the council in 2011 and transformed it from a disused allotment site. The project, which was formally opened in 2012, was designed as an open-air green facility for the community, providing services such as training in horticulture to reduce older people’s isolation and increase job prospects for young and unemployed people.
However, the council brought a case to court this year after RCF breached the terms of the lease for 'failing to use the site as a community garden'. The council was granted possession of the land, on Shawcross Lane, at a County Court hearing in May. The lease with RCF has formally ended, with a court costs order also granted in the council’s favour.
