Village public open space is a weed headache

The patch of land at the corner of Rauceby Lane and College Road in Cranwell was earmarked as open space for village residents to use as part of planning consent for the neighbouring new ‘Sidings’ housing development by Persimmon Homes over three years ago.

College Road resident Shelagh McIntyre said: “Earlier this year, finally it appeared the site was being cleared, a better hedge was laid, the trees were tended and a seat placed. The ground was cleared. But sadly that was it, no nice grass area - instead once again we have just weeds.”

She said it had been tidied up but weeds had grown up again and made the two new benches installed unusable.

Finally, North Kesteven District Council has announced it will be adopting this area from the developers and maintaining it after carrying out work to bring it up to standard at Persimmon’s expense.

An NKDC spokesman said: “We are in the process of transferring the land to NKDC. Two benches have been put on the space. We have cut the land and will continue to maintain it once transfer has taken place and we have received the maintenance amount.”

Eddie Findlay, clerk to Cranwell Parish Council said NKDC has tidied up the area a couple of times and billed Persimmon in readiness for adopting it, but admitted it has been “a headache”. due to the delays.

The area was supposed to have been seeded with a slow growing, low maintenance ‘meadow mix’ grass, but he said the meadow flowers soon turned into a tangle of weeds. Now re-seeded, he believed it would go onto the district council’s amenity cutting regime.