It is with great disappointment that we write to let you know that the project at the end of Back Lane will not be going ahead.
Despite the very best efforts of our committee, and in the spirit of everything you have voted for and supported, we have been unable to reach a lease agreement with the landowner that is sustainable for our community and that would allow us to fulfil our charitable objectives. We were also offered the opportunity to purchase Field 2 outright; however, this too is unattainable for a community society such as ours.
We would like to sincerely thank Arlene for her willingness to engage with us and for the time and effort she invested in working with us throughout this process.
The full record of our meetings and all decisions made throughout this process are available in the minutes published HERE, and we would encourage anyone who wishes to understand more about how we arrived at this point to read these in full.
This is not the end for Broadway Village Gardens.
Our society was formed in the best interests of this community, and nothing about our legal structure, our charitable objectives, or our passion for what we set out to achieve ties us solely to the land at the end of Back Lane. The need identified by 93% of respondents in our May 2024 community consultation is no less real today, and the projects you voted for remain at the heart of everything we do.
We are therefore putting out an open call: if you know of land that could be gifted, or offered on a truly long-term lease at peppercorn rent, with the permissions needed to bring our charitable objectives to life — please get in touch. What we need is a landowner who shares our vision and is willing to work with us to deliver something lasting for Broadway: communal gardens with seating, biodiversity projects, and community orchards, as voted for by you.
We remain here, we remain committed, and we would still love to find someone ready to help us make it happen.
— The Broadway Village Gardens Committee
What a headache,after all your hardwork,but as you say it’s not the end of the,we will all have to keep our eyes and ears open .What an absolute great opportunity missed for our community.Thankyou for all your hardwork
So sad to read this after all the hard work you have put in. Appreciate the update – may I ask what the plan is now for the area?
I’m afraid we don’t know. Any questions regarding these two fields would need to be directed to the landowner.