From: "Joyce Edmond Smith" <<email obscured>>
To: "Dan Jellinek" <<email obscured>>
Sent: Monday, October 08, 2007 10:15 AM
Subject: Re: [BH-Issues] award-winning allotment - but waiting list stil
closed!
Given the dire circumstances of the Council's finances
I would have thought buying land for allotments is not
on the agenda. Indeed if any land were to be bought I
assume, given the desperate situation of housing ,
that it would be for housing purposes . At the present
the only way the Council can achieve more houses is
through using land that it already owns (by doing a
deal with a housing association to allow them to build
houses with a proportion - or all - ring fenced for
people on the Copuncil' housing list) or through
planning . Indeed the pressure on housing is so fierce
that there is a constant battle to keep the allotments
there are. It might be possible to envisage getting
some extra allotments through a 106 agreement (ie a
developer has to give something to the community) -
this would suppose some land could be made available
either at the development or somewhere else and it
would require those on the planning committee to be
ready to argue for that idea. You might want to take
it up with one of the members of the planning
committee (their names are available on the B& H
site). And on the question of brownfield sites -
actually there are very few if any brownfield sites
around Brighton & Hove - it was never an industrial
area and the biggest "brownfield" site was the station
. There would of course also be an issue of possible
contamination with a brown field site and it could
mean some very expensive cleaning up process. In any
case the policy of the Council is to build houses on
brown field sites in order to meet its quota from the
Government - in order to safeguard the Downs from
development.
Joyce
Dan Jellinek <<email obscured>> wrote:
> Thanks Joyce.
>
> I appreciate that it takes time to turn allotments
> around, but is there any
> process for buying new land for use as allotments?
> Or do the modern
> economics of land use and ownership make this
> impossible these days? I would
> have thought there might be brownfield land that
> could be reclaimed or
> something like that, given the massive demand and
> the absence of supply.
>
> cheers,
> Dan.
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Joyce Edmond Smith"
> <<email obscured>>
> To: "Dan Jellinek" <<email obscured>>
> Sent: Sunday, October 07, 2007 8:58 PM
> Subject: Re: [BH-Issues] award-winning allotment -
> but waiting list stil
> closed!
>
>
> Mainly that there are not enough allotments for the
> demand - and that there is a proces to go through
> before people can be thrown off an allotment that is
> not being worked. And actually the Moulescoomb
> project
> us special and got a lot of help from the Council in
> setting up.
>
>
> Joyce
> --- Dan Jellinek <<email obscured>> wrote:
>
> > A brighton allotment has won an impressive
> national
> > award.
> > But this just makes it more of a shame that a
> > council surrounded by countryside stil has its
> > allotment waiting lists closed. They've been
> closed
> > for over a year I think.
> > What's going on?
> > Dan.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > NATIONAL AWARD FOR BRIGHTON ALLOTMENT
> >
> > If you thought all allotments consisted of rows of
> > carrots and potatoes then think again!
> > A compost loo, treehouse classroom, firepit and a
> > wattle and daub Wendy house are just three of the
> > features that have helped a Brighton allotment
> > project scoop a national award.
> >
> > The Moulsecoomb Forest Garden and Wildlife Project
> > (MFG) has just been voted the best community
> > allotment project in the UK. The award was given
> by
> > the Kitchen Garden Magazine in conjunction with
> the
> > National Allotment Gardens Trust.
> >
> > Moulsecoomb Forest Garden and Wildlife Project is
> a
> > community food project based on 8 allotment plots
> in
> > Brighton. The project offers horticultural,
> > educational and social opportunities and is a
> > perfect example of community involvement and
> > teamwork.
> >
> > Along with plots growing organic fruit and
> > vegetables there are wildlife areas with a pond
> full
> > of newts and frogs and a treehouse/outdoor
> classroom
> > being built by youth offenders and pupils from the
> > Alternative Centre for Education. Theres also a
> > polytunnel, compost loo, firepit and a childrens
> > space including a wattle and daub Wendy house.
> >
> > Theres also a forest garden, which recreates the
> > different layers of a forest from tall fruit trees
> > to fruit bushes and herbs.
> >
> > Kitchen Gardener editor Steve Ott said: This is a
> > wonderful project, working with some of the areas
> > most disadvantaged and troubled youngsters to give
> > them the chance to get their hands into the soil,
> > grow and taste their own fresh vegetables, and
> just
> > to have a positive environment in which to
> interact.
> >
> >
> >
> > Warren Carter of MFG added: For many pupils and
> > youth offenders school has failed them. We just
> try
> > and find the skills they are good at and give them
> > confidence and self belief. We offer an
> alternative
> > curriculum, teaching not just gardening but
> building
> > and carpentry skills, woodland management and
> > cooking skills. The allotments are also a great
> > place for a wide range of people who would never
> > usually mix to socialise around a fire and cup of
> > tea, becoming part of the social glue that binds
> > communities together.
> >
> > Councillor Geoffrey Theobald, chairman of the
> > councils environment committee said: Its wonderful
> > to see the councils allotments being used in such
> an
> > exciting and innovative way. This is community
> > working at its best with everyone, from the very
> > youngest to the more senior members, working
> > together to create something really special.
> > I congratulate all those involved in winning this
> > prestigious and well deserved award.
> >
> >
> > Dan Jellinek
> > Brighton and Hove
> > Info about Dan Jellinek:
> > http://forums.e-democracy.org/contacts/danjellinek
> >
> > This topic's messages may be viewed at:
> >
>
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>
>
>
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>
> Dan Jellinek
> Brighton and Hove
> Info about Dan Jellinek:
> http://forums.e-democracy.org/contacts/danjellinek
>
> This topic's messages may be viewed at:
>
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Joyce Edmond-Smith
Tel (01273) 680 705
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