Westminster City Council (WCC) removed a bench from a street garden maintained by 89-year-old Katharine Hoskyns in St John's Wood, London. The council cited a "series of complaints from residents" that the garden was attracting "anti-social behaviour at night," including drug use.
Hoskyns, a retired teacher and mother of three, transformed the concrete area outside her home into a green space over 25 years ago. She filled the space with plants like tomatoes, geraniums, and herbs, and included a bench for neighbors to use. The garden was created after the council installed parking spaces where a patch of grass once was.
According to the Daily Mail, Hoskyns received a formal notice to remove the bench in July. She launched a petition and claimed to be in negotiations with the council. However, the bench was removed on Sunday, October 25, before scheduled meetings could take place.
WCC stated that it has a "responsibility to listen to residents" and take "appropriate action." The council also said it regretted the situation and offered to return the bench to Hoskyns's back garden, though she claims she does not have adequate space for it. She expressed a desire to have the bench returned, as she paid for it herself.
Hoskyns disputes the council's claims, stating that there is only one neighbor who objects to the garden and that "there is no anti-social behaviour." She described the garden as a "community thing" and a pleasant place for social interaction. She believes the area would become unpleasant without the garden and its seating.
The council's initial letter also raised concerns about fallen pots causing injury and the bench's structural safety. Hoskyns countered these points, asserting that the garden does not cause obstruction and leaves ample room for wheelchairs. She had collected over 60 signatures on a petition and was attempting to contest the council's decision.