Page 51 - ALG Issue 4 2023

Eastern
Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Essex, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire
Welcome to our new members...
Ashdon Allotment Association
Elstree & Borehamwood Town Council Kings Cliffe Parish Council
Poringland Parish Council
Stoke Goldington Allotment Association 21 Individuals
REPRESENTATIVE
Ray How
5 Dalys Road, Rochford, Essex SS4 1RA
07720 719224 ray.how@btopenworld.com
DEPUTY REPRESENTATIVE
Mark Vincent
mvincent.nas@gmail.com
Village of Thurston Has The Opportunity to Double The Number of Allotment Plots
Eastern Region Report
What an unusual summer we have had. Very hot and dry and then lots of rain and now very hot again. A typical English summer.
I would like to welcome plotholders on a new site at Thorpe le Soken near Frinton. A very warm welcome was given, and it is great to know that new allotment sites are coming to fruition.
The question of peat-free is still around and we know that, from the new year, we will not be able to buy it. Hopefully by then peat-free will have improved and we will continue to get good crops.
During July and August, I have been invited to local allotment association open days and site judging. I had the pleasure of judging the entries from plotholders; the standard was very high and made judging very difficult.
I would like to mention Rochford Allotments and Leisure Gardens Association. Not only was the standard of entries high, but the support by members and visitors was outstanding. There were the usual plant sales and of course the barbecue which had to be sampled. The chef should be on MasterChef. A great day out.
I think that all allotment associations and plotholders should share their knowledge and expertise with the younger generation so that they become the gardeners of the future. This is more important especially
as the medical profession is saying that gardening is the best form of exercise for health and wellbeing.
Please support your councils and associations to help improve facilities and keep allotments going. Please support our region and help it grow stronger.
Ray How, Regional Rep Eastern Region
I would like to welcome plotholders on a new site at Thorpe le Soken near Frinton
In June 1981 the Myatt family bought at auction Manor and Green Farms, Thurston, a 540 acre mixed dairy/ arable farm. In the corner of a 5-acre field behind houses in Stoney Lane were eight allotment plots; the rest of the field was growing corn. We carried on growing corn for a number of years, but it became increasingly difficult due to the close proximity of the houses and access to the small field.
In the early 90s we stopped growing corn and put the rest of the field down to grass for hay for our dairy herd. It was at this time that we had requests from residents in Stoney Lane to see
if they could have a plot of land behind their houses that they could tend as
an allotment – there had never been any allotments here before. Being beneficent landowners, we let the Stoney Lane residents and others in Thurston cultivate additional plots on our private land on an annual licence. We have ended up with 20 cultivated allotments of differing shapes and sizes.
It had always been our intention at some point in time to develop part of this field, but it has never been our intention to lose the allotments as can be seen by our 42 years of support for the allotments on our private land.
In early 2022, discussions took place between the Thurston Parish Council and the Myatt family as to safeguarding
and increasing the number of allotment plots in the village, as well as placing them in the hands of the Parish Council rather than private ownership.
The scheme involves the 20 allotment plots ‘moving’ to the south side of the field, the allotment holders having been consulted at a meeting earlier this year. These plots will have new fencing and water supplies and the plan is for these modernised allotment plots to be available in March 2024 – notice to quit the existing allotments have been served in February 2023 in readiness for this move. On the rest of the field six additional houses will be built. The other linked area for creating an additional up to 20 new allotment plots is part of a 3-acre meadow, also owned
at present by the Myatt family, which is adjacent to the new primary school. The remaining part of this land will be used
for the establishment of a community orchard for the benefit of the whole village and allowing the new primary school the opportunity of applying for Forest School status.
The whole scheme is now waiting on the determination of the local planning authority.
Let us hope that the good news story of doubling the number of allotment plots for the village of Thurston comes to fruition for March 2024.
Paul Myatt
Allotment and Leisure Gardener 51