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Creating a Coral Reef Community Garden at the Ham

  • by JW

Bringing together the skills and knowledge from all the groups whilst not forgetting the residents

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A new project is underway to give a little life back into a neglected corner of the Ham:

The Ham Planting and Art Community Project – Vision Group for Sidmouth

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Jo Bulmer of the Sidmouth News Nub has interviewed some of the key players:

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“As part of the improvement SCCH plan to weed, clean and repaint the Fish Wall Mural with local children repainting the individual fish.”

‘Unloved’ Sidmouth space to be turned into Coral Reef Community Garden

Sidmouth Town Council has approved a collaborative proposal from Sidmouth In Bloom, Sidmouth Coastal Community Hub and a group of Glenisla Terrace residents, Sidmouth Arboretum, Sid Valley Biodiversity Group and Friends of the Byes to reimagine an unloved space and turn it into a sea themed Coral Reef Community Garden…

The new garden is being planned for the area next to the Ham public green space, currently closed due to the replacement Alma Bridge works…

Working together, the community groups are undertaking specific roles to use their specialist knowledge and passions to the garden including uncovering the heritage of the area which is on the site of the old gas works.

Local resident Janet Strapp said; “It is an absolute pleasure to be a very small part of this exciting project. Bringing together the skills and knowledge from all the groups whilst not forgetting the residents. Well done to those groups and look forward to seeing it develop.”

The Sid Valley Biodiversity Group will survey the area and with Sidmouth In Bloom the design will incorporate bird and bat boxes and plants that will both survive the salt conditions and encourage insects and wildlife…

The space will be designed with art incorporated into the planting scheme, the coral reef theme has been chosen to tie in with Sidmouth Coastal Community Hub’s 2020 theme Life Below Water – preserving our oceans…

If anyone would like to get involved and volunteer on the project and help with weeding, planting and heritage research please email info@sidmouthcoastalcommunityhub.org.

Unloved; Sidmouth space to be turned into Coral Reef Community Garden | sidmouth.nub.news