A FORMER play area in Rishton could be turned into a community garden.

Piggy Park in Devonshire Road, currently owned by Hyndburn Council, is now a levelled off grassed area after playground equipment was removed.

At a meeting of the authority’s cabinet today members will be asked to agree to lease the area to the Prospects Foundation to allow the scheme to progress.

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In March this year, the cabinet already agreed to a lease for 15 years to the Rishton Food Growing Association (RFGA), to use the land “for the purpose of a local food growing project,” a report to the meeting said.

It said: “The approval was granted on the basis of the Rishton Food Growing Association becoming a properly constituted body with the capacity to enter into the lease.

“Although the Association has subsequently become a constituted body, it is not incorporated for the purpose of entering into a lease with the council. Members of the Association are reluctant to take on personal liability for complying with the terms.”

Instead Prospects has come forward and offered to become the council’s tenant for the purpose of complying with the lease terms to allow the project to go ahead. The report said: “The Prospects Foundation, in turn, will appoint the Rishton Food Growing Association to manage the site on its behalf as its agent.”

Rishton ward councillor Ken Moss said: “The council have to maintain the land so the Prospects Foundation have asked if they can take it on. It will allow them to fund their own area and grow their own foods.

“It is all very positive and most likely will get passed so they can take ownership of what they want to do with it.

“The land will be fenced off so it can get used and this is a good example of a community making use of public land.”