BARNARD Castle Town Council has taken over management of The Demesnes and the gardens around Woodleigh, at Scar Top.
It follows the signing of lease agreements with Durham County Council earlier this month.
Mayor Cllr Sandra Moorhouse said the move offers the town council more scope to improve the areas.
She said: “They are both on a peppercorn [rent]. It is a 30 year lease and we get to do the management and maintenance and we can approve events.
“There is a planting scheme underway and we might want to expand on what is here.
“We would like to sell the Demesnes as a place for people to come and enjoy the fresh air.
“I don’t think people realise the fantastic views you get on the Demesnes.”
She added that the lease on the Woodleigh grounds had been fixed to the building, where the town council has its offices, so that both would come up for renewal at the same time.
Regarding the Woodleigh gardens she said: “It is still a public space and, hopefully, people can use the performance space a little easier.
“It also gives us the opportunity to make it look a bit nicer.”
However, questions have been raised in the past about why the town council wanted to take over management, when the cost was already being carried by the county council. It had been described as a “double taxation” on Barnard Castle residents.
Cllr Moorhouse said: “I understand that. The council felt it belongs to the town and it is part of the town. As part of the consultation, people who came along felt that it should be managed by the town.”
She added that there was uncertainty about the effectiveness of the county council’s maintenance of both areas because of continuing cut backs in its budget.
Having the land under the town council’s management would also make it easier to give approval to community events, she said.
The mayor said the town council had been preparing for the takeover for some time and had started earmarking cash for maintenance of the areas two years ago.
She concluded: “It would be nice to have volunteers who are interested in helping to keep it maintained.”
Anyone interested in helping can visit the town council offices at Woodleigh.
