Skip to navigationSkip to main contentSkip to footer

Cherry Tree Lane community garden

The Crown Estate, in partnership with Sunnyside Rural Trust – a local charity and social enterprise – has been granted planning permission to create a community garden at Cherry Tree Lane, Woodhall Farm. 

The community garden will become a place for local residents to enjoy, boosting physical and mental wellbeing, providing new habitats for local wildlife and improving biodiversity. 

The application reference number is 5/2024/1552 and can be viewed on SADC’s planning portal. 

  • Proposed site

    Situated next to an existing bus stop, providing direct public transport with ramped and gated access and accessible footpaths.

    View proposed location

  • Proposed approach

    Community gardens can have a range of features that together provide a positive experience for all visitors and help you relax, learn, exercise, and enjoy the surroundings.

    View proposed approach

  • Sunnyside Rural Trust

    Find out more about this thriving charity and social enterprise offering training and work experience for vulnerable people. 

    Visit website

Community Engagement

We held three events in July 2024 for local residents.  Our proposals for the garden, which Sunnyside helped finalise, were informed by the feedback we received from residents at these events. 

Summary of the key questions raised at our events and how our proposals have responded to them:  

  • The site is situated next to an existing bus stop, providing a direct public transport connection to the site.

  • There will be ramped and gated access to the site from the north, with an accessible footpath extending to the perennial garden.

  • Access from the Nickey Line will be stepped to retain the existing slope from the Nickey Line and avoid the need to undertake ‘cut and fill’ earthworks.  

  • There is no parking provision within the site – the community garden is designed for a local walkable catchment as a ‘place to pause’ for those already using the local bus/pedestrian networks and Nickey Line.  

    (NB There was an expressed consensus that the proposal should minimise the use of cars)  

  • The proposal does not include any form of lighting in order to minimise the impact on wildlife and residential properties to the west.  

  • Access points into the site from the west would require the alteration of public highway, loss of several mature trees/hedgerows, could adversely impact residential amenity and may risk drawing in car borne visitors. The principle of the site is to allow public access into an area of current agricultural land which has been enhanced through improved biodiversity value and informal recreation features, whilst retaining existing habitats/ hedgerows on its margins.

Find out more

  • Our proposed approach, benefits and suggested designs for the community garden.

    Download (6.1MB)

  • Download the latest sketch submitted in the planning application

    Download (2.8MB)