Page 62 - ALG Issue 4 2014 Digital Edition

South West
Beleaguered Dorset Allotment Site wins third Green Flag
Roeshot Hill Allotment Association in Christchurch, Dorset held its Annual Show on Saturday 9th August. Luckily, there was a welcome respite from the recent stormy weather meaning that plot holders were able to enjoy the sunshine while showing their produce and competing for awards.
More significantly the Association’s committee was pleased to announce to all that the site had been successful in its bid to be awarded a Green Flag Community Award for the third time in three years. This prestigious award is given to Community Groups for the best green spaces in the UK, and Roeshot Hill is one of only eight such awards made in the South West region. Other winners included local nature reserves and community gardens. In
total, only seven working allotments won Community Green Flags out of the 170 awards made across the whole of the UK.
The plot holders are justifiably proud of this recognition, especially in the face of Christchurch Council’s rejection in 2013 of their application for listing as a Community Asset and the subsequent decision to schedule the site for closure, so that it can be used as part of the near-1000 home housing development planned for the
area. This element of the East Dorset and Christchurch Strategic Plan was pushed through despite the majority of respondents to the Council’s public consultation wishing to see the allotments retained within the housing development for the benefit of the local community.
At the Annual Show Mr Hugh Merrett, the sites’ Life President and plot holder since the allotments opened in the 1970’s, said “We hope this award will count in our favour when the Council applies to central government for
the sale of our statutory site”.
Roeshot Hill is by far the largest allotment
site in Christchurch and has more than 200 plot holders. The Council has not been able to positively identify any alternative site for allotments and have even been considering shunting plot holders out of the county into Hampshire, onto land with much reduced public transport accessibility and away from the community that the present site has served for the past 40 years.
Mr D Cort
South West Regional Report
After a 12 year lull, August this year saw the revival of the popular Plymouth Show. The annual flower and produce show was well supported by Plymouth City Council, Otter Nurseries, NAS and many local businesses. We have had a request to stage the show again next year and are hoping to make it the focus for National Allotments Week 2015. I am working with the National Vegetable Society and hoping to make it the South West Championship Show for the members of both organisations. The committee have also been asked to link in with Plymouth Flavour Feast and we are intending to feature a pop-up Allotment at the centre of both events.
Would you like to be involved or lend a hand at next year’s show? The date is 12th and 13th August 2015. Please contact me or go through the website at www.plymouthinbloom.com and start to plan your exhibits ASAP. Plymouth will also be hosting the
national fireworks competition on the evening of 12th and 13th August. Any club with their own show, please send the info to the web address above and we will help you to publicise your event.
I was recently invited to present the prizes at the Torquay Allotment show, where I met with lots of plot holders. I will be returning soon
to offer support around forming a Federation. If you would like to talk to other allotment associations in your area/post code, a Federation could be the way forward and I am on hand to help; they bring strength in numbers and I am keen to support their promotion.
The South West Regional Representative post is up for renewal at the 2015 NAS AGM. I am happy to continue but if your association would like to nominate anyone please contact Head Office for a nomination form. I look forward to seeing many of you in the coming year.
Neil Dixon
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