A PLANNED 'Peace Garden' for Newnham is starting a little war.

The idea to build the garden on ground close to the village church is meeting resistance from the owners of neighbouring properties.

They say the scheme has never been sensibly thought through, a need has not been identified and the consequences of its creation have still to be assessed.

The garden is being planned on land owned by the parish council which adjoins the churchyard. It is the idea of writer Donald Norfolk who, with friends, recently held a jazz evening to raise funds for the project.

Other money has come from a Parish Pump Priming Award from the Conservation Foun-dation (£500) and the Oxford Swindon and Gloucester Co-op who have given £1,000 from their Community Dividend Scheme towards the cost of paving the footpaths.

But Mr Michael Tinkler, who lives close to the site, said it was feared the garden would encourage children to play close to the churchyard and would be used for picnics during the day and attract youngsters at night.

"It begs the question why on earth do we need a peace garden in Newnham? We are fortunate to live in a very favoured position and there are many places close by to which people can go to enjoy tranquillity and lovely views.

"There are one or two people intent on this for whatever reason but it has not been properly thought through. I am not alone is dismissing it as an irrelevance when Newn-ham really needs a new parish hall and greater facilities for young people," he said.

Mr Tinkler said other issues such as the future maintenance of the area needed to be addressed.

"It is being rushed through all too quickly and without sufficient consultation. One fear is that after the press cameras have gone and the publicity dies down the area will slowly decay and become unsightly and overgrown.

"There is also the question of public liability. Who will pay if someone trips or falls because the garden has not been properly cared for or has been vandalised?", he added.

Newnham Parish Coun-cil chairman Mrs Barbara Allsopp said the Peace Garden plan had won overwhelming support in the village.

"Newnham would not be the place it is now if it were not for the generosity and foresight of individuals in the past. They gave us The Green, the Chains and the Town Clock and this project is no different.

"I honestly believe problems are being seen which will not exist. On the whole Newnham is very fortunate and the young people here are generally well behaved and look after the village," she said.