Park volunteers file complaint against council

A community group looking after a park has said it is concerned over a council's handling of the redevelopment of the site and its treatment of the volunteers.

The Hemp Garden Community Association (HGCA), based in Durham, made the comments in a complaint to the local government and social care ombudsman, filed last week.

The group, which has been taking care of the land at Elvet Waterside since 2017, claims Durham County Council made decisions about the future of the site without consulting it and discriminated against its members.

The Reform-led local authority said it was yet to investigate, but it had "no reason" to believe there were procedural failings or discrimination.

The ombudsman would only investigate a complaint if it had been through the local authority's internal complaints procedure.

"We are committed to being a transparent council and will cooperate fully with any external investigations undertaken," a council spokesperson said.

There are plans to redevelop the site, with the council selling a disused toilet block there.

Proposals for an outdoor gym at the nearby former bowling green were scrapped in the summer amid criticism of the consultation process.

HGCA founder Simpa Carter said "the straw that broke the camel's back" was the council's lack of response to the group's follow-up queries after they viewed the toilet block in early November.

The council is accepting bids for the disused facility until 19 January and the volunteers want to turn it into a community cafe with profits reinvested into the local area.

"It was the final failure of their procedures. They've not communicated with us," Mr Carter said.

"It has now been over a month and they've still not got back to us."

The complaint, seen by the BBC, claims the group and its neurodivergent and disabled members were "systematically excluded" from consultations and communications, amounting to "indirect and implied discrimination".

It also alleges procedural failings as well as transparency and accountability breaches.

HGCA is asking for a number of remedial actions, including an immediate pause of the sale of the toilet block.

It also wants to be formally recognised as a stakeholder.

Graham Wood, the council's economic development manager, said the sale of the building would not be paused.

"It is a priority of our Cabinet to ensure empty buildings are brought back into use and not left to deteriorate," Mr Wood said.

"We understand HGCA care deeply about the future of this site, and we engaged with members of the group in the lead up to putting the property on the market."

He added the council had met the group to discuss their voluntary work and the potential sale of the building and had accompanied a member to a viewing when the property went on the market.

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