THE future of a tranquil, scenic and largely unknown site in the middle of Minehead is to be put to a public consultation later this month.

Sandwiched between Holloway Street, Market House Lane and the Clanville development, Clanville Gardens has rightly been labelled a ‘secret garden’ as it is almost invisible from surrounding roads and properties.

The site will be the subject of a public consultation to be run by Minehead Development Trust at the Old Hospital building in the Avenue on September 11-12 from 10am-3pm.

Maureen Smith, a volunteer working with Minehead Development Trust, said: “The use of the site needs to be in line with the community’s preferences and complementary to the nearby public spaces such as Blenheim Gardens and Parks Walk, as well as the developing Old Hospital project.

"Residents and visitors are invited to have their say and take a tour if they would like to see the site. A design for the gardens, which includes a forest garden, has been funded by the Feldberg Foundation and will on view at the consultation."

Mrs Smith said that various local groups have worked to revive the site and improvements have been done in an incremental way as funds and opportunities have become available. Currently some public health funding from the County Council via the District Council, who own the site, is to be used towards creating a dementia friendly garden with local volunteers working on the site.

"However the point is coming when a group needs to be established to apply for substantial funding for which a long term lease would be needed. The aim is to establish the Friends of Clanville Gardens to grow the site into the delightful community asset it could be," Mrs Smith added.

For more information contact 01643 709478, go to www.mineheaddevelopmenttrust.co.uk or by searching Clanville Forest Garden Project on Facebook.