A Garden Built With Love
When residents first took it upon themselves to rescue the plot of dirty and disused land at the end of Love Lane it was a full of old mattresses, discarded needles, dog shit and the detritus of dereliction that comes with speculative property deals and absentee landowners who have no interest in the local community.
5 years of love and hard graft have turned this wasteland into a community garden. Move loved and well used. But today Mayfair property speculator Tyger Sanchez parked his tanks on the Love Lane garden, obliterating the stage that children use to put on shows and serve cakes.
Well, he might be a big noise in Mayfair – but there’s a bad smell surrounding this. What sort of bully smashes up a kids play area? He has no planning permission to build – so no need to do any of this. It is just pointless vandalism. Or is it an expedition to see how much he can get away with? Other property speculators have tried such brinkmanship with local councils. Tyger probably thinks Croydon Council are an easy touch, having been accused of being too close to property speculators in the past. But they have accepted Love Lane Green as an Asset of Community Value – and the community does indeed value it.
This is the Council’s chance to show that they are in fact on the side of local residents – not bully boy speculators who make Rachman look good by comparison. People who appear happy to destroy everything that the residents have built and then leave it to fester. Perhaps the hope is that if it becomes a big enough eyesore and health hazard the council will eventually relent and give planning permission. Well, not this time.
Our community is our home – not your get-rich-quick scheme. And we will fight to save it!
What it used to look like before residents took action
South Norwood Tourist Board 
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