Allotments approach full capacity
In a report to tonight’s Services and Property Committee, councillors will be told that the two locations at the hospital (pictured) and behind the Burgess Lands housing have become popular, with only a handful still available.
It will be refreshing news to a council that faced substantial criticism back in 2021 for the amount of money, and time it was taking, to create the sites which they were expected to provide due to Welsh Government legislation.
Around £23,000 was invested, but it now appears that has been money well spent as, despite a slow start, they seem to be popular with excess fruit and veg being returned to popular community initiatives such as Meals on Wheels and Give and Take.
The report will state that the Probation Service has been instrumental in the turnaround in fortunes, taking on several plots whilst also doing their bit to keep the site tidy as a whole.
“(The) Probation Service have been brilliant and have worked hard on their plots (and the spare ones) with the young people growing vegetables, keeping the allotments tidy as possible and sharing their produce. They are going to tidy both allotments up for the winter months,” the report states.
“There is a wide variety of allotment tenants, we have got people in their 20s and a couple of charity groups, and more than half the allotment tenants are female.”
And it stands, only one full, and two half plots, will be available next year at the hospital site, while up to five could be available at the Burgess site.
The report recommends that the rental price remains the same for next year to encourage full capacity with a £50 charge for a full allotment, or £25 for a half allotment.
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