Guerrilla Gardening: Lib Dem Team Clean Up Cheriton Rec Land Threatened by Shepway Council

An action day in Cheriton, Folkestone on Sunday 2 September saw Lib Dem Councillors and others battling to bring part of Cheriton Rec back to its best after months of neglect by Shepway Council. The area of park between Weymouth Road and the Cheriton Bowls club has been un-cut for months, and Shepway Council have now submitted a planning application to build 6 houses on the site.

Cheriton Councillors Peter Carroll, Dhan Gurung and Tim Prater along other local residents and Lib Dem members worked together to pick up litter, remove graffiti from signs, cut back verges and strim and cut the grass. Three hours of work by the team saw a real improvement to the area.

Cheriton Councillor Tim Prater said:

"Local residents and the Lib Dems are fiercely opposed to the sell-off off this area: this park belongs to Folkestone. It is not for Shepway Council to sell - it is for them to hold in trust and maintain for future generations.

"Perhaps it is coincidence, but the part of Cheriton Rec Shepway Council have applied for permission to build on is the part they are not maintaining. It's appalling the way that Shepway Council have failed to maintain this area: grass was over 2 feet high in places, and clearly had not been cut for months.

"Our clear-up has two purposes. To show Shepway Council that this area is wanted by the local community, who value it as an open space, and do not want to see it developed. It is also a message that the area should be properly maintained and must not be left to go to seed while Shepway try to make sell the land to pour the money into Council coffers at the expense of Cheriton."