Gardeners who have tended to a nature reserve next to their flat for the past decade have accused a housing association of “destroying” all their work.
Gideon Corby and Esther Adelman have lived in Kingsland Wharves, which is owned by L&Q Group, for the last 12 years.
Soon after moving in, the couple started the Wildlife Gardeners of Haggerston to help transform the canalside area into the Kingsland Basin nature reserve.
Over the past decade, the group has planted and maintained shrubs in and around the canal, attracting wildlife including sparrows and kingfishers.
But Gideon and Esther claim they have now been told to stop gardening in the nature reserve after they complained that grounds maintenance staff had been “destroying” their work.
The couple said that issues first arose around two years ago, when scaffolding was put up for work to be carried out on the blocks, and have got “worse and worse” ever since.
Esther said: “They've just become increasingly hostile.
“I put in a formal complaint about the grounds maintenance people destroying all of our work, and killing plants and shrubs.
“I was told that they know how to use weed killer, and they know how to use power tools, and that this is sufficient for them to do their job.
“We've been told specifically now to stop doing any work around the Basin.”
Gideon added that they had regularly seen maintenance staff carelessly using strimmers, leading to many plants and shrubs being pruned incorrectly.
He said: “It's impossible to witness. It's extremely upsetting in terms of seeing everything being destroyed.
“We can see it all from our flat, and there's nothing we can do now.”
The couple also fear that the nature reserve could lose its Green Flag status, which recognises good management of green spaces, which it had achieved in the last two years.
Intervening in the dispute, Hackney Mayor Caroline Woodley said she has been “hugely impressed” by the work the gardeners' group has undertaken.
She said: “While maintenance is an issue for the building owners, and safety must always be the priority, we'd urge them to consider the impact of ground maintenance on the nature reserve and Hackney's biodiversity, and the value of working collaboratively with residents, especially where local volunteers hold an evident record of good practice.”
Kristian Melgaard, L&Q Group director of housing management, claimed the housing association does “acknowledge” the group's efforts in maintaining Kingsland Basin over so many years.
He admitted that “building safety works” at Kingsland Wharves had “temporarily affected” some of the green spaces, but claimed that funds will be provided to enhance and replant these areas.
Melgaard added: “We are in regular contact with Mr Corby, and hope to continue working with him and other residents to ensure the nature reserve is maintained for the long term.”
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