Land Trust
LAND TRUST SUB COMMITTEE
When LRA was formed, this sub-committee was set up to be LRA’s interface to The Land Trust (TLT). Its main work focuses on the maintenance of the green areas for which TLT is ultimately responsible.
Longbarn is a very “green” environment with many grassed areas and mature trees that were provided by the New Towns Commission. Subsequently, a part of this land was gifted to TLT to look after.
The Land Trust appears to be one of three bodies who are responsible for looking after the green spaces on our estate. It continues to be a difficult task to find out who exactly owns which parcel of land on our estate and we continue to examine maps provided by various authorities and several residents, to establish once and for all who owns what. We think we now know which land is managed by the Land Trust.
The maintenance of the mature trees, some of which were types that are inappropriate for an estate setting, continue to be an issue area to be monitored on an on-going basis.
TLT’s sub-contractor, The Environment Partnership (TEP), carrying out the work on the trees and grass under instruction from the Land Trust, appeared to carry it out in a very cavalier fashion. Their intervention has been very hit and miss and there seems no coherent plan for the work needed on the trees (now 40 years + old). Enquiries of the Land Trust received a very defensive response from TEP.
Grass appears to be cut on a fortnightly basis throughout the season. However, LRA’s view remains that the quality of the grass cutting has been, and still is, particularly unsatisfactory, leading to constant complaints being directed at the Land Trust. There has been no noticeable, serious attempt made by them to improve the situation.
Consequently, LRA has purchased our own lawn mower and residents have volunteered to cut the grass on the offending areas and improve the environment for all residents.
We continue to have discussions with the Land Trust in our attempts to agree a practical way forward in respect of trees and grass maintenance for the benefit of our community. We are currently trying to get a current plan for tree works but so far this has not been forthcoming.
On a more positive note, LRA is very grateful to The Land Trust for its co-operation and support on LRA’s project to improve the Hippos Play Area. The old play area, on Land Trust land, was in desperate need of upgrading. With TLT’s support the refurbishment of the site has produced an amenity of which Longbarn residents can be rightly proud.
