It’s been a long time in the making, but we are delighted to hear the Forest For Launceston is progressing well and the team are in the final stages of agreeing the lease with Cornwall Council.
It will be no secret that Cornwall Council have had significant cuts over the last year, which has affected staffing levels, and as such has meant that the transfer of ownership to the community (via a 99-year lease) has run a year overdue. The Forest for Launceston team have been attending monthly meetings with Cornwall Council and other involved parties, if it was not for their dedication and commitment to the project for the community we would still be some time away!
They are also delighted to say that with the permission of Cornwall Council they have recently run a community building day with Resonance, a local social enterprising organisation with the project’s lead Sam Virgo-Brown. They spent the day litter picking, clearing paths, collecting pine cones for St Catherine’s school and generally enjoying the lovely space.
The next phase will be to clear a significant amount of disused fencing and the team are looking for volunteers to help. If that could be you, email ellie@life-media.co.uk and we can pass it onto the team.
And finally, once the lease has been agreed the Forest for Launceston team will be holding a community event in the Town Hall for everyone to come together and discuss what facilities and resources the site might need, and the vision for its long term use by the community.