Dartmouth Town Council has announced the handover of the town’s assets from South Hams District Council will be completed today, on Friday, July 27.
The council has been working for several months to complete the handover of the assets which includes the Royal Avenue Gardens, Coronation Park and the Castle Estate.
This will allow the gardening team, led by Rob Harkness to formulate a strategy for improvements and ongoing maintenance from Saturday, July 30.
The team will start by focussing on tidying the paths and walkways within Royal Avenue Gardens, weed spraying, cutting back hedges, cleaning benches and bins and planting.
At Coronation Park the gardening team will be doing pruning, improving the flower beds, removing brambles and ensuring pathways are clear.
At the Castle Estate, Rob and his team will be tidying and cutting back when necessary.
The council has said all of the work will be done in conjunction with Dartmouth Green Partnerships. In addition, the team will continue to work with the Friends of the Orchard committee to ensure the Community Orchard is up to scratch.
Matt Horan who worked as a gardener in the area for over 13 years is now back to help with the asset’s in the town. He is looking forward to returning to Dartmouth and bringing the green spaces back to their former glory.
Rob said: “It has been a fantastic few weeks weather wise, but also we have been pleasantly surprised at how friendly everyone has been whilst we have been watering over 200 floral displays, weed spraying and highway verge cutting around the town.
“It makes a big difference to the job to see some smiling faces and receive positive feedback on the work we have been allowed to carry out during the transition stage.
“My favourite time though has to be first thing in the morning, just as the town is waking up, Dartmouth is absolutely breathtaking with superb scenery and as Matt says, we cannot wait to return the town’s parks and public spaces to top notch condition.’
If you see them around, give them a wave and say hi.