The Penrith Old Codgers Club have today voted unanimously to end the club’s involvement with the council and its role in maintaining cleaning and general upkeep of Coronation gardens in Penrith over what it has said is the councils wasting of money.
The OCC took on the upkeep of a large patch of garden to the rear of Coronation Gardens in Portland Place. The club cleared the area, bought, and replanted using a large amount of bulbs, bushes and plants and have tended to the area ever since.
One of the Old Codgers Club members also built a metal case to keep the water tap secure and purchased a new hose pipe for use throughout the garden as part of its upkeep and maintenance by volunteers.
In a statement issued today by the Club it said “Many of the clubs members strongly disagree with the wasting of money by the Council, especially when the £8 million pound Voreda House money pit towers over the said garden. Two weeks ago we were informed the Council can no longer afford to pay the £1000 for cleaning the pathways in Coronation Gardens and asked would each set of gardeners adopt their section of path, this upset a lot of our members.”
Recent reports on expenses using credit cards, £3.8 million pounds in 9 months. Coupled with a rise in Council tax of almost 5% this year the club have said “shows they are very good at wasting other people’s money.”
Former Deputy leader of Eden Council and Westmorland and Furness Council member Cllr Mary Robinson who is the group leader on the council of the Independent/Green Group and ward councillor for Alston and Fellside, recently attended a meeting of the OCC to discuss issues and the subject of Voreda House was raised along with other issues including the “Penrith.Pong”
The Club Secretary speaking with Penrith.Town this morning confirmed that during this morning’s meeting the subject of the club’s involvement with the garden and the council along with the “wasting of other people’s money” was discussed at great length, the resulting vote reached a unanimous decision – to end the Old Codgers Club involvement with The Council and their garden with immediate effect.
It’s understood that other local clubs and organisations have also taken the decision to pull out of involvement with the gardens for similar reasons.
A spokesperson for Westmorland and Furness Council said: "On 13 February officers from the council met with a group of community gardeners, made up of various groups including the Old Codgers, WI and Methodist Gardeners, to discuss their valued voluntary work helping maintain Coronation Gardens."
"During that discussion the issue of moss on some of the pathways was raised and officers advised that pressure washing the paths last year had been successful but had cost around £1,000. It was not thought there was sufficient money in the current budget for this year's pressure washing, but it was agreed to review at the start of the new financial year in April."
"At no point did the council say it would not fund or could not afford to carry out this work, just that it would need to be covered from the new 2024/25 budget. We can confirm that funding for the path cleaning this year will be allocated from the new budget."
"It appears that there has been an unfortunate misunderstanding that has caused some upset and we are happy to clarify the situation. It is unfortunate that these concerns were not raised with the officers who could have offered reassurances and who had been under the impression the meeting had been friendly, positive and productive, with all participants posing together for a group photograph at the end and the council thanking the volunteers for their efforts and looking forward to a constructive working relationship moving forward."
"Indeed, following the meeting the council continued to discuss with the community gardeners working together to help publicise their activities, in the hope other local community groups may wish to become involved in this valued voluntary work.''
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