83-year-old Anne West has been lovingly tending to the garden, financing it herself since 2016 after the death of her beloved husband, John
However, she has now been left “distraught” after receiving a notice from the council proposing significant changes to the garden, including possibly removing all personal items, removing the metal gate that borders it and “re-grassing” it.
Anne said: “My John was a keen gardener when he was younger, so I started to look after the garden after he passed away.
“Working in the garden helped me to feel close to him as his ashes are scattered there.
“To be told the memorial garden may be taken away is like a kick in the gut.”
It is more than just army veteran John who is remembered through the garden – it serves as a memorial for other tenants’ loved ones, most recently someone who passed away during the COVID pandemic, and is also home to a memorial tree for Kenneth Bunch, who lived in the block until 1984.
The garden features a memorial tree to former resident, Kenneth Bunch(Image: Stourbridge Lion Lib Dem Team)
Dudley Council, which owns the garden, is considering these changes as it is claiming “no one has been maintaining it”, despite Anne’s efforts for almost a decade.
She added: “For many years, I have been the only resident who has looked after the communal outdoor space, spending my own money on plants and furniture.
“I took a break from gardening in 2024 as it was starting to get too much for my knees.
“However, I was delighted when the Stourbridge Lion team started to help me with some of the maintenance earlier this year.”
Firmstone Court residents will be able to voice their opinions and concerns to Dudley Council at a meeting on Tuesday ( September 16), where it is the second item on the agenda.
However, the authority confirmed that “no decisions can be made at the meeting”.
Dudley Council are proposing to ‘grass over’ the entire area in order to then maintain it themselves.
The Stourbridge Lion Lib Dem team are supporting Anne in her efforts to protect the garden and the special place it holds in the hearts of many people in the community.
Speaking on behalf of the Stourbridge Lion Lib Dem Team, former Wollaston Councillor Lois Bramall said: “I have been involved with public life for more than thirty years and this is easily one of the most outrageous proposals by a local authority that I have ever heard.”
Dudley Council did not give any indication regarding when a decision could be made on the future of the garden.
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