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Err yes thanks Jeremy - I have grown my own vegetables as well as spending my childhood helping my father with his vegetable plot. So I reckon on approximately 35 years experience of growing fruit and vegetables with around a 10 year gap in the middle when I couldn't be arsed.
Does that help?
if people have a problem with their local council why not stand up to be a councilor
instead of coming on here and bitching!
if people have a problem with their local council why not stand up to be a councilor
I don't have the right amount of anal retentiveness.
Fair enough then MF - you should know how difficult it would be to take a brownfield site and make it into productive land for growing food.
Hainey - thats the point - I was talking about brownfield site where this is not done often as its a long and hard process
Whats hard?
Turn it over, check the ph level, add some organic, inorganic fertilizer, organic matter as required, check ph again. Add seasoning to taste. Done.
you should know how difficult it would be to take a brownfield site and make it into productive land for growing food.
And that goes back to my original (if somewhat simplistic idea for a solution) - why not let the people who want a plot prepare the plot? Councils could supply advice and basic materials even - many plots that I see have raised beds anyway - even if the site was brownfield, then it would take little effort to create raised beds with a geotextile membrane (such as the sort used in landfill and contaminated land) beneath and simply fill with topsoil/fertiliser etc.
the council could easliy add a condition on any large development planning permission (section 106 IIRC) that requires that an appropriate local facility is created, it's just they rather squeeze the developer to subsidise a bus route, road widening etc. Brownfield sites can be remediated in most cases and it is better done properly rather than by a bunch of amateurs doing it piecemeal. In most cases I imagine it would be a "scrape and replace"
councils are also under a lot of pressure to identify land for housing devlopments which goes into their planning policy. GB's obsession with the need to build "affordable" homes for the rapidly increasing population in England means they can't afford to "lose" sites to allotments in urban areas. The reality is that house building has collasped and will only start again very slowly. Still doesn't get your allotment though.
There are allotments at the end of my road. The buggers are constantly lighting bonfires to burn the crap they just grew and smoke wafts down the street because they can't be bothered to take account of weather conditions. I'd be much happier if someone built apartments there instead.
(Does this make me a little Englander or not TJ?)
to burn the crap they just grew
LOL
Most cities already have reasonably fertile green spaces which could be turned into allotments with little effort. They tend to be fenced off, or behind high walls, so there is also a degree of privacy and security. They also cost councils a lot of money on upkeep and maintenance.
You'd have to get someone to dispose of the gravestones though.
Druidh - and the doggers / cottagers would have to go elsewhere then
TJ - I wouldn't know about these things,but (as usual) you are plainly an expert....
zing!!!
I went for a walk round warriston cemetery - it was a little disturbing. It took me a while to work out why all these men where hanging around.
I think Hugh FW has a campaign going to use up unused growing space - people identify spaces to grow the seed then get permission to grow the seed and them people go and grow the seed....
Anyway, not sure what the councils have done wrong here - is it cost effective? If so let the private sector buy land to rent out as allotments - if it's worth doing they'll treat brownfield sites too and charge more.
I thought 'nature grows the seed'?
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Oh yeah - that's why I fail in my growing.
Actually I'm slowly digging up more and more of my garden to grow stuff in - this year could be good - if we get enough sun anyway.