Concern for tenants as garden service scrapped

THE axing of a gardening service has sparked concerns for elderly and disabled council house tenants in Newcastle.

- DANIEL HOLLAND Local Democracy Reporter

City council bosses have scrapped a service that allowed tenants to pay to have their garden kept tidy for a small weekly fee.

Councillors were told on Wednesday that the garden care offer had been deemed unviable, after a review found it was projected to have a “substantial deficit”.

The local authority confirmed to the Local Democracy Reporting Service that 631 residents were using the service, which was closed down in June, and that it had been expected to record a £100,000 shortfall for 2025/26 if it was continued.

At a city council meeting on Wednesday night, Lib Dem councillor Doreen Huddart questioned whether adequate consultation with tenants had been carried out.