Not a lotta Allotments

There's been a lot of talk just recently about allotments, or rather the lack of them, in Glossopdale.

Tintwistle has it's own on the Arnfield Allotments site, Glossop's are just off Gladstone Street (and there used to be some along Shirebrook right next to Manor Park), and in Padfield along Platt Street and behind Post Street. For an area serving as many people as Hadfield now does it is a sad state of affairs that we have...erm...none as far as I know.

The waiting lists for Glossopdale sites are very long, stretching into years and this wont change soon unless more land is brought under community use.

The demand for allotment gardens is already high and is bound to increase as we feel the pinch in our pockets with the rise of the cost of living and the credit crunch, but also I think people are more savvy these days when it comes to the food they put in their mouths.

We all now know and worry about food miles, pesticides, the decline of nutritional values in foods, the rise of obesity levels and other health related issues, food safety and Genetic Modification, loss of biodiversity and climate change. Then there's the rapid expansion and take-over by the supermarkets and the decline of local shops and local food.

There are, of course, great benefits to tending an allotment; it gets us out of the house and into the community, it fosters relationships, it is both healthy and educational. It's time we called for Hadfield residents be provided with allotment gardens.

Thankfully there is a law which requires local councils to provide allotments to residents if asked:

"if a council considers there is a demand, it has a statutory duty to provide a sufficient quantity of plots and to lease them to people living in its area. If local people feel there is a demand for allotments that is not being met, they can get together any six residents who are registered on the electoral roll and put their case to the local authority to consider." (http://www.farmgarden.org.uk/ari/documents/plotholdersguide.pdf)

Glossop Wholefoods is carrying a petition at the moment asking for a greater provision of allotments in Glossopdale with well over 300 names already signed. It is worth signing it but I feel we need something that will ensure Hadfield doesn't get side-lined again - our own local campaign.

You can also phone Councillor Graham Oakley on 01457 866353 to chat about allotment provision.

Hopefully, if enough people are interested in pursuing this we can start the ball rolling for some Hadfield allotment spaces.