Page 54 - ALG Issue 2 2015

East Midlands
Bants Lane Allotments, Northampton
Bants Lane Allotments opened after the First World War in about 1920. The site started with 166 ten pole plots but today it has around 200 smaller 5 pole plots. The site was originally a field for horses with stables at the far end, away from our main gates. The old stables were used by the Association for storage and meetings.
In 2006 the Northampton Borough Council (NBC) installed a portacabin toilet with disabled facilities close to the main gate. Following the installation of the toilet the NBC was asked for permission for a container to use as a shop and storage, but the request was turned down because of budget cut backs.
In 2008, the committee decided that we should contact the local Northampton Community Foundation because our storage buildings were deteriorating. They were very helpful and we
applied for a grant for a
new container to the local
Duston Parish Council. We
had a visit from a parish
councillor and filled in the
necessary paperwork. The
grant was successful and
the Association started work
on our sloping site.
The site has a one in ten
slope, which meant tonnes
of soil and stone had to
be moved. There were contractors on
site that helped move a great deal of soil. Members’ friends helped with stone and earth moving equipment. The base for the first 20ft by 8ft container was prepared by members and the concrete foundation was laid. In November 2008, the container was delivered and installed. During this work we applied for a second grant for a second hand 20ft by 8ft container to Duston Parish Council, and a third grant for a 20ft by 8ft meeting room from the West Northampton Development Corporation. The grants were successful and a double foundation prepared.
Ideas about insulating our first container ready for our seed potato delivery in
February 2009 were underway. Insulation, studding, sheets of chip board and paint were purchased and donated.
The inside of the container was insulated and the concrete foundation laid, just before the potatoes arrived on the 6th February. Three days later, after heavy snow fall, the next container and the office/meeting room was delivered. The second container was insulated and all work was completed by the committee.
The next project was to complete the
car park along the side of the containers which involved building a 50ft long retaining wall without costing a fortune. This project went on hold for some time, but this year members had ideas how it could be done. We set about building our retaining wall by collecting materials from the site, speaking to local suppliers and the Northampton
Borough Council giving us 20 tonnes of road plainings. We also extended the existing car park, made a patio area and completed the orchard around our containers and meeting room.
The year before the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Year, one of our members George Short sadly died. We found out later that he had left £250 to the site. With this gift we created an orchard behind the containers and named it the ‘Diamond Jubilee Memorial Orchard dedicated to George Short’.
This year we finally finished the last part of the project that was first started in 2008. Our site has done well with its development and the organisations that have had faith in our ideas. Remember if you don’t ask you don’t get; I hope this inspires other sites to have a go.
Alan Ryder
‘Diamond Jubilee Memorial Orchard dedicated to George Short’
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