26 May 2010
Transition Town West Kirby’s Allotments Study Makes the National Press
Ian and Margaret Campbell of Transition Town West Kirby recently researched and published, together with the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners (NSALG), a report called ‘Allotment Waiting Lists in England 2010’. The report, which you can download in full here, is an up-to-date detailed look at what is happening in terms of allotment provision. They found that waiting lists have grown 20% just in the last year, and that in some parts of the UK, some people will need to wait as much as 40 years for an allotment, but the average wait is 3 years. They estimate that nationally, 180,000 people are waiting for allotments, and that while Councils have a statutory duty to provide allotments, most are failing to do so. Publication of the report generated a lot of press coverage, including this piece in the Telegraph, and pieces in the Sun, Mirror (see top left) and the Express. A fantastic piece of work, and great to see Transition initiatives getting this kind of coverage.
Sylvia Ashley
26 May 10:16am
Hello,
If you happen to be one of the 180,000 people waiting for an allotment, the following opportunity might be of interest;
“Primrose Cottage is a 7.5 acre residential farm in Sawbridgeworth( Herts), that is partially certified by the Soil Association as organic, promotes practise of forest gardening, biodiversity protection and also has bed and breakfast facilities.We welcome school visits and other educational partnerships.In addition, we are part of the WorldWide Working Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) and regularly have international volunteers contributing to life on the farm .
Moreover, we firmly believe in promotion and practise of organic principles while at the same time supporting the local food economy within the wider context of sustainable development. We also support and would like to develop the co-operative values that are essential for sustainable social enterprises to become and remain successful within the organic movement. That is why, it is with pleasure that we invite you to lease 2.5 acres of land which can also be managed collectively so long as organic principles are observed. There will be no charge for the rest of the season till April next year apart from electricity and water. For more information about Primrose Cottage, please see our website: http://www.future-living.co.uk. We look forward to hearing from you soon”.
Andrew Ramponi
26 May 11:45am
Well that’s one waiting list getting longer that is actually good news.
Regarding the 40 year wait for some, that should just about fit in with the official estimates for the end of oil.
Chris Wells
27 May 2:07am
This is a really interesting example of a newsworthy story, particularly the part about local authorities having a *statutory duty* to provide allotments. Is there maybe some potential for an ongoing PR / awareness-raising campaign to the broader public?
It’s also interesting to see the Telegraph describe TTWK as an “environmental pressure group”.
Welcome to the latest update from Transition Town West Kirby | Recovery Wirral
22 Jun 1:21pm
[…] TTWK has a growing profile in the local media. Most recently, our attempts to secure additional allotments has again been featured. However, we reached a much wider audience recently when numerous national media picked up on our updated report on allotment provision across the country. This showed that Wirral is by no means alone in having a chronic and growing shortage in allotment provision. You can access our report and the extensive media coverage via Transition Culture. […]