1 March 2008 - The City Council has adopted a Green Party proposal to make better use of the city's allotments. Councillor Janet Bearman, Environment spokesperson for the Green Party City Councillors, proposed a motion to the February meeting of the City Council highlighting that many allotments have become overgrown or unused and that there are long waiting lists for city allotments.
Janet Bearman said: "Allotments promote both physical and psychological well-being, enable people to grow organic food locally and help bring people together. There are currently 1,450 plots on 18 sites around the city and it is a shame that a large number are not being cultivated whilst there is a waiting list.
"One of the problems is that many of the plots are just too big for a beginner gardener - it's quite daunting if you've not done much gardening before to arrive at your new plot and see it stretching out to the horizon. We'd like to see some of the plots divided up to make them more manageable and help shorten the waiting list.
"I'd also like to see allotments used by more community groups. For example, the Grow-Our-Own group on Bluebell South, which rents about a dozen allotments and lets out small plots to beginner gardeners or people who only want a small area to grow a few things on, provides them with small plants, seeds, tools and advice and then hopefully, when they've got the confidence, they'll take on a whole plot."
The Council approved the Green Party motion calling for greater use of allotments by community groups, schools and associations so that individuals can have a more suitable size plot according to their needs and with support from more experienced gardeners. The Council will also encourage the development of allotment associations to enable holders to become more involved in the management of their sites. In late 2008 the Council's Scrutiny Committee will conduct a review of allotments to see what further steps need to be taken to help more individuals and organisations make use of them and to reduce the waiting lists.