Fury in UK seaside town as local ordered to tear down rooftop garden
Rob Wood has been left furious with the council's decision to rip apart his garden, which he says is a haven for local wildlife.
A furious man in Paignton, South Devon has been ordered by the local council to tear down his rooftop Garden for “not complying with planning, structural, health and safety measures.”
Rob Wood, 53, has branded the decision “Health and Safety gone mad” and that he is “devastated” over the removal of the space he renovated having “poured our heart and soul” into the project “just to be told to take it down.”
Mr.Wood started building the rooftop garden, on top of the Broadsands Beach Watersports Centre, in March this year.
The original aim of the garden was to discourage anti-social behavior, with the roof a popular spot for local kids to hang out.
“Kids were drinking cider - all that kind of stuff, it was always awash with beer cans on a Sunday morning.”
He claims anti-social behavior has gone down since he built the garden. “Even the local Yobs respect it,” he said.
The former Civil engineer set to work bedding pots and plants making the area a vibrant space which attracted wildlife with numbers of “bees and butterflies increasing dramatically,” with everything in space being “recycled or repurposed.”
Mr.Wood began the project with just a few nasturtium plants and was helped by his three-year old niece throughout the summer months.
He also received advice from other local gardeners who provided him with seeds and plant cuttings to help the garden grow.
He says the upgrades to the roof have had the desired effect: “The tourists, the locals - everybody loves it. Every single day people come up and comment.”
Torbay council have said that the space was made “without prior permission” and “could pose potential risks.”
The spokesperson for the council said that they “acknowledge the efforts of a tenant on our property who has constructed a roof garden.”
They added that “while we appreciate Mr Wood’s positive intentions, it is crucial to emphasise that any modifications to leased properties must comply with planning, structural safety, and health and safety regulations."
However Mr. Wood and many of the locals who support the roof garden are not giving up on keeping the space as it is, or finding a compromise with the council.
Mr. Wood said “We are hoping common sense will prevail. What I didn't like was the blanket 'get rid of it', why not have a bit of compromise? We are hoping we won't have to get rid of all of it.”
He added that he was visited by a member of Torbay council on the 19th of August, being told there had been a number of complaints.
However the water-sports centre has only received a request to remove the gardena and have not yet received a formal enforcement notice, giving local residents some hope the garden can be salvaged.
