Gnosall Allotments & Gardens Association are developing a plan for the regeneration of the Gnosall Allotments site following an award of £3500 funding from the ‘Community Means Business’ LEADER programme, part of the Rural Development Programme for England.  The funding is subject to GAGA putting in some money and providing some volunteer work to help with the project.

– “The Communities Mean Business (LEADER) Programme is the chosen approach to deliver the social and community measures of the Rural Development Programme for England and as a community initiative, acts as a delivery mechanism, providing rural communities with the tools to enable them to play an active role in shaping their own future.”

Provisionally the plan has three phases,

Phase 1 – reconstruction of some of the internal tracks to allow access for all

Phase 2 – construction of a meeting hut and composting toilet

Phese 3 – some measures to help alleviate the flooding of the allotments.

The three phases have been identified as important issues to address that were highlighted in the results of our members survey conducted in late 2012.

Phase 1 commences from the latter half of February 2013.  The reconstruction of some of the tracks is seen as an important initial step.  The tracks in the central area have become badly cut up and very uneven.  They are difficult to negotiate for anybody with mobility issues, both young and old, or just carry heavy loads by hand or in a wheel barrow.  They are even difficult to negotiate with a car.  This phase will require allotment holders to provide some volunteer work to help with grading of the new tracks.  Some 36 man hours are required over a two of the three day period the construction should take.

With the improved access we can move on to the next phase which is the building of an allotment community building/hut along with a toilet.  The toilet, out of necessity because of no mains services, will be a composting toilet.  Modern composting toilets are quite sophisticated.  They barely smell, if at all, and require little maintenance.

More details on this phase will be published at a later date but suffice to say will be subject to planning permission and sufficient funding.