A COMMUNITY garden that provides a “green haven” for York residents could be given legal protection on Monday.

Holgate Community Garden has been nominated as an asset of community value (ACV) by a group of neighbours who know and love the land, and on Monday a senior councillor is expected to approve the bid.

The garden at the end of Upper St Paul’s Terrace currently belongs to the City of York Council, but local residents have put their time and money into transforming it into pleasant space with flowers, vegetables and play equipment, and providing a green haven for people who live nearby.

They fear it could be lost as part of the York Central development.

Cllr Chris Steward will decide whether to approve the listing on Monday, September 12, and a report prepared for him says the garden and basketball court are actively used on a daily basis by families, dog walkers, gardeners and others, while St Paul’s Primary School and Out of School Club use it for PE and forest school sessions all year.

The community garden is also part of the Edible York movement.

Earlier this year, a campaign was launched to save the garden amid plans to put an access road through the area for new developments on the York Central site.

City of York Council wants to build a road from Holgate Road to Leeman Road at the back of Wilton Rise, Cleveland Street and Upper St Paul’s Terrace as part of a massive redevelopment plan for the old railway land.

York Press:

More than 700 people signed a petition to save the garden, and now Chris Barratt from the Friends of Holgate Community Garden said they hope the ACV listing will show how valuable it is to people nearby.

He added: “We know how much we love the garden, but not everyone else does.

“When we went to talk to the council executive earlier this year, some councillors freely admitted they did not know the area.”

New rules brought in under the Localism Act mean that ACVs cannot be sold until the community nearby has first been given a chance to bid for it. At the same decision sessions next week Cllr Steward will consider an ACV application for the Blacksmiths Arms pub in Naburn.

The parish council has put the pub forward, saying it gives locals a place to socialise and also gives sports teams and community groups somewhere to meet. With no objections from the owners Marstons Pubs or the current tenants, Cllr Steward is being advised to approve it.