Photos showing volunteers clearing up the site to prepare for Cambridge City Council contractors to rotovate overgrown plots.

News Release from Vinery Road Permanent Allotment Society, Cambridge June 22^nd 1998

Campaign to Clean Up Burnside Allotments

An enthusiastic group of allotment holders and local residents have started a major cleanup exercise on Burnside allotments, Cambridge. The site, situated off Mill Road and Perne Road, adjacent to the water-filled chalk pits, had a proportion of overgrown plots which had been vacated for some time.

However following a weekend campaign, several plots were cleared of old sheds and rubbish, in response to an increase in demand for allotments. Cambridge City Council provided two skips and have subsequently surface-rotovated the plots in preparation for planting by new plot holders. The newly-elected councillor for Romsey, Catherine Smart, also attended the event giving her support to the campaign.

"Food scares, the ability to grow a range of fresh fruit and vegetables and a desire to get more exercise are just some of the reasons why people of all ages take on an allotment" said Keith Jordan, committee member. In addition to growing a wide range of crops and flowers the site provides open space and rich habitat for wildlife such as goldfinches, kestrels and countless common toads. "We hope that more people, especially families and younger people, will consider taking up plots and enjoy the benefits of this excellent leisure pastime".

Burnside Allotments has recently become one of the first sites in the country to publicise and communicate using the internet.

Several allotments in Cambridge were recently threatened with housing development following the City Council’s ‘Review of Allotments’. However allotment holders and local residents, many of whom attended the recent public consultation meetings, have been determined to preserve them for future generations.

Anyone interested in renting an allotment at Burnside should contact Trevor Taylor (Tel: 01223 247573) or Paul Jones (Tel: 01223 501562). The society also has some vacant plots at its other site off Vinery Road.

Burnside’s website can be found at: www.allotments.net

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NOTE TO EDITOR:

Vinery Road Permanent Allotment Society runs allotments at Burnside and Vinery Road.

The recent ‘Review of Allotments’, produced by Cambridge City Council, proposed that several allotment sites be rationalised to provide land for house building. They proposed to appoint an ‘Allotments Support Officer’ to promote allotments in Cambridge, but this would be funded by the sale of part of the Nuffield Road site.

The recent parliamentary Environment Select Committee on the ‘Future of Allotments’ recommended that local authorities should promote allotments more actively.

Press Contacts:

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