Truro City Council have promised a public consultation on how best to use land recently purchased at Comprigney Hill.

The council have bought the land from a private landowner using section 106 money from planning gain.

The council says the reason for purchasing this land is ‘primarily to offer another public space within the ever-expanding city’. 

They added that is the intention of their parks department to continue to maintain the area as a traditional hay meadow, which has been its use in recent years.

The council say they will be following RSPB guidelines to make sure it benefits birds and wildlife.

They added that the parks department intends to spread green hay over the land to increase the diversity of grass and wildflower species, along with the sowing of yellow rattle. This will enable it to be as flower rich as possible.

But Truro City Council parks department did instruct a contractor to cut the grass areas and hedgerows in the upper three recently purchased fields at Comprigney Hill.

They said sections have been left in the upper field in some corners for wildlife benefit. The hedgerows backing onto neighbouring land have been trimmed back to hedge lines. And that the first field ‘has been and will continue to be left as an extension to the land at Coosebean and the wildlife area’.

The say the hedges backing on to that area have not been cut, though some of the trees will require a clean-up via chainsaw from the damaged caused by the flail. 

They insist work was undertaken following the guidelines to cause the lowest impact to wildlife, whilst also following the trimming guidance and complying with the trimming dates. 

In addition, Truro City Council is in discussion with affected residents along the lane to improve surfaces to the entrance of their properties.  

The council added in a statement: “In the future, we will be looking at how best to use the land, assessing ideas such as the addition of a community woodland, an open space for free play and exercise, circular walks or a community growing space or farm. 

“This will of course be open to public consultation when the matter arises.” 

However, a number of residents have expressed their anger that grass areas and hedgerows in the upper fields were cut without waiting for a public consultation.

John Rowe responded to the council’s statement by saying: “What I fail to understand, is what was the urgency, surely if it’s not decided whats going to happen to the land, then it should’ve been left alone, until the decision was made, contractors were not supervised on their actions, its a mess. It’ll take years to return it to its original state.”

Lindsay Southcombe added: “I totally agree. It is just so heart-breaking to see the devastation and think of the creatures that were massacred.”