£20k available for allotments as residents queue to grow
By MidsomerNorton People | Tuesday, March 09, 2010, 16:33
People who want the opportunity to grow their own vegetables could soon see more allotments in the area.
Norton Radstock Town Council's allotments working party held its first meeting of the year to help identify new sites.
The group consists of town councillors, representatives from allotment tenants and professional advisers from Bath and North East Somerset Council and the town council's professional ground staff.
With a waiting list of more than 40 residents wanting to take up allotment gardening, the town council allocated £20,000 in this year's budget to satisfy the demand by increasing provision.
Four possible new sites were identified and the general consensus was to request a full feasibility study for new allotments to be terraced on a sloping site off Church Street in Radstock.
Other options that may develop, working with other partners, included one near Trinity School, Radstock, owned by the Church of England, and Fosse Green, Clandown, owned by Somer Housing.
Section 106 money allocated via the housing development at the St Peter's site in Westfield could also result in more gardening opportunities for green-fingered residents.
Two sites identified for further investigation by Bath and North East Somerset Council were Bryant Avenue, in Westfield, and north of the Tom Huyton Play Park in Radstock.
Councillor Peter Sas (Ind, Westfield), vice-chairman of the town council, said: "Engaging directly with local people and experts like this is extremely valuable when it comes to pooling knowledge and building partnership working.
"The council is much more effective when it helps the community lead in specialist areas, including In Bloom and other working party ideas covering tourism, the Victoria Hall, youth activities and reducing carbon emissions."
Virginia Williamson, of the B&NES Allotment Association, praised the town council's commitment to allotments.
She said: "Most of my members in Bath would be envious of the quality of the allotments in Midsomer Norton and Radstock."
Comments
Well done the Norton Radstock Town Council, it is getting on with the job whilst Paul Myers just wants to be negative about everything the Town Council does. In a few weeks he will be claiming that he thought about it first.
By lesleywaine at 22:39 on 09/03/10
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