Disused space being turned into community garden

Just Good Friends is creating a sensory garden next to Whitwell train station in Derbyshire

A Derbyshire charity has completed "phase one" of a project to transform a disused piece of land at a train station into a community space.

Just Good Friends, which supports adults with learning disabilities, started work to create a sensory garden at Whitwell Station, Derbyshire, in September.

The charity said all the groundwork of the project is complete and will be followed by a "planting day" on 14 October, before it's grand opening on 19 October.

Marc Wade, project and development co-ordinator at the charity, said: "The sensory garden will, once established, offer something to the community all year round."

The space was overgrown and not used before the charity created the garden

In 2021, Bolsover District Council made the charity aware of the land, which was owned by a local building firm but was unable to be used for building houses due to the proximity of the train line.

The company which owned the space agreed for the charity to use the land on a peppercorn lease.

After funding and paperwork plans fell through, the council and construction company Tarmac supplied the charity with £74,000 for the project to go ahead.

Mr Wade said members of the charity will "run and take care of the garden alongside community involvement".

"This will be somewhere that people can meet and be involved with the future projects we have planned," said Mr Wade.

For the planned planting day, children from schools and members of the charity will place 150 plants, shrubs and trees to complete the garden.

After the project is complete, the charity wants to create a "memory meadow" where it will purchase a building to provide all year-round shelter and offer it to schools as an outdoor classroom and for the community to use.