We’re having a meeting at Redwing on 15th February at 2.30pm, to discuss the PEN projects and look at where funding and resources should be allocated. Since Love Lane started to be managed by local residents and Cormac, we need some practical resolution to issues pertaining to the veg plots and their use/disuse and apparent vandalism of these areas. There exists some contention or ambiguity around the purpose of these, and while it is not for any of us to undermine any agreements or acts of good volition with regards to helping people access land and grow plants, we have to ask whether this is a viable project for PEN to support given changes that have occurred with the overall management of the site. We unfortunately don’t have any agreement with the owners regarding these veg plots, and I don’t know how the situation can be improved, with regards to reports of the plots being abandoned or neglected, with site boundaries or fences & gates being damaged. If it were a going concern and people were really keen and engaged consistently then of course this seems a worthwhile cause, but we need to establish whether this is a projection of reality or fantasy. On a public site where nothing can be secure, will people really commit (other than with a verbal communication in principle) to growing vegetables? With all the hard work required on a site with poor access, are plotholders going to pull together on this? As a trustee, I would like to see an attempt at establishing communication with the owners (Cormac on behalf of Cornwall Council) that comes from a trustee or coordinator of that project, otherwise in the absence of this basic agreement going forward, can we call it a PEN project and spend limited finances of PEN on repairing infrastructure etc? Call me biased, because I am working fairly exclusively on the Millennium Woods Project, which unlike Love Lane has historically had no funds allocated for its management, and could really do with them now for various tasks. But please get involved in the conversation and say your piece, how you feel about these sites and what they represent, that we may hear everyone out who has a vested interest in the veg plots, and see where this takes us. Remember that PEN is a vehicle for us all to use to further its aims, which includes elements of environmental and ecological education and awareness, natural amenity and resources, and networking for local, social and economic resilience and sustainability. PEN still needs fresh blood, new trustees and people willing to give a little time to administer the charity, and volunteers, to engage the community and access local green spaces…
Best wishes,
Adam
On behalf of Penwith Environmental Network (PEN)