Wednesday 1 July 2009

Highland Council is seeking the public's view on allotment Gardening

The following is to be found amongst The Highland Council's web pages:

"Shaping Allotment Policy (23/06/09)

The Highland Council is seeking the views of the public in shaping its policy on allotment gardening.

The Council is keen to promote allotments and the purpose of the policy is to establish the principles which will guide its partnership with community groups and other organisations in establishing and managing allotments.

In order to promote an inclusive policy and to encourage widespread involvement in allotment gardening, the Council proposes to consider interest from any individual or family resident in the Council area; community groups; voluntary sector organisations and charities as well as statutory organisations (eg schools, health centres, etc).

Whilst allotments may not be used for commercial purposes, allotments legislation allows for the selling of surplus produce from allotment gardens. The Council will consider use of it’s powers to advance wellbeing, embodied in the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003, to facilitate use of allotments for community-based food production projects where this is seen to benefit the wellbeing of the community.

Councillor Isobel MacCallum, Chairman of the Council’s Land Environment and Sustainable Strategy Group,, said: “Allotment gardening offers many benefits to individuals, families and communities, including health and wellbeing benefits, an opportunity to exchange information and very local food.”

Consultation responses are invited before the deadline of Friday 11 September, in writing to Keith Walker, Policy Officer, The Highland Council, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness, IV3 5NX or by email to keith.walker@highland.gov.uk"

I discovered it by reading 'The Nairnshire'

2 comments:

  1. The Nairn Allotment Society is a very active organisation and I must confess to being a member. We have a five-year management agreement for the existing allotments at Sandown (initially these were within the red line on the map for development!) with Highland Council and have secured the land at Mill Road for more allotments if Euro funding can be obtained but that will only perhaps take about half a dozen off the thirty plus waiting list. There will no doubt be many more folk interested if they knew more plots were in the pipeline.
    Allotments are planned for Sandown and Delnies should these developments ever go ahead but in the meantime there is perhaps an opportunity for a local land owner to step in and rent out a field or two?
    There is also an active group in Inverness,Comann nan Lìos. Groups also exist elsewhere in the Highlands and there are campaigners trying to get land in Forres, Elgin and Keith. SAGS (Scottish Allotment Society) is very busy lobbying the Scottish Government.
    People want allotments the only question is how quickly can the authorities provide the land?

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  2. APTSEc Response

    Thank you for the comment. Are you aware of the Transition Town movement? I understand there is an embryo Inverness group and an a more established group in Forres. Providing land for food is an important element of the movement.

    I thought you might be interested in the follwoing item which appeared in the Forres Gazette in January entitled, "Let's not lose the plot"

    http://www.forres-gazette.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/4102/Let_s_not_lose_the_plot!.html

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