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Broomhill Online
A community website for Broomhill (Sheffield) |
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Save Tapton Experimental Garden! Where is it? Why save it? What can I do? What are BANG doing? What is it?
Founded in 1951, this botanic garden contains more than 2000 species of plants and has provided an experimental centre for Sheffield University's department of plant sciences. The garden is established in grounds that form part of the historic landscape around Hallamgate House (built circa 1780, now demolished), Tapton Elms (now renamed Hadow House) and Pisgah House (the oldest listed residence still standing in Broomhill). The garden contains a number of built structures including a ha-ha, a Victorian walled ornamental garden and a pond, in addition to many fine mature trees. The University want to sell the site to developers who plan to demolish many of the existing structures and build a housing estate upon it, along with a larger development on the site of the Tapton Halls of Residence on the adjoining land. Where is it? Main entrance is at number 26 Taptonville Road, towards the top end of Taptonville Road, but the garden also has a second entrance from Hoole Road to the rear. The total land area of the garden is around 1 hectare (2.5 acres). Few people in the community know about it because it has rarely been open to the public. Our photogallery gives some impression of what is behind that wall, the real thing is even better... Why save it? - It occupies such a sensitive site in the heart of our conservation area, and has importance as part of the historic landscape pre-dating (and contemporary with) the development of Broomhill; - It provides amenity for the surrounding houses, and an important habitat for birds, bats, rare newts and other wildlife, in addition to its unique plant collection; - Broomhill is desperately short of public green space and the loss of such a good potential public garden in the centre of our community would be a tragic missed opportunity; - Broomhill has suffered many detrimental changes to our local environment as a result of University expansion: surely the University could give something back by working with the community to conserve this garden? What can I do? Its very simple: Let BANG know that you support the campaign. Email us your contact details to add to the 'Friends of the Secret Garden' mailing list, and display our car/house window sticker. WRITE a letter to the Sheffield Telegraph supporting the campaign. WATCH this site for news of developments, in particular news of any appeal against refusal of the planning permission, which may possibly be held in public. BANG may need to mobilise the garden supporters at short notice. Your support really counts! A total of 1675 people signed the petition to save the Secret Garden that BANG delivered to the council, and more than 200 people took the trouble to write to object to the planning applications. Many local people have also given donations of time or money to the campaign. Strong, visible community support for the project is our best weapon for influencing the planning decisions, and without it we are sure that the bulldozers would already be busy on the site. What are BANG trying to do? (Follow links and thumbnails on the left-hand pane) BANG have been working hard on a number of fronts. For example, we have been talking to other successful community garden projects in Sheffield to learn from their experience. We have worked with local media organisations to raise public awareness of our campaign and to keep it in the news. We have put the community's proposal for conserving and restoring the gardens to our elected representatives in the Council and in Parliament. We have contacted many organisations with an interest in conservation, wildlife, ecology and local history, to use their expertise and secure their support. And most of all, we have worked in the community to make sure that everyone living and working close to the gardens knows about them and the plans for them. We delivered our petition to the council, dressed in character as the Hobson family, the original inhabitants of Tapton Elms. We attended the planning board meeting and presented BANG's position on the development. Finally, throughout this campaign we have sought opportunities wherever possible to meet with the University and developers, to try to persuade them to think again and to work with us to get the best outcome from the redevelopment of this site. Now visit our Community Garden Proposal page to see what we'd like to do with the Gardens if our campaign is successful. PLEASE HELP US!! (top) |
