Bloor Homes brings new allotments to Faringdon community
Bloor Homes has officially handed over 26 new allotments to local residents as part of its Oriel Gardens development in Oxfordshire.
Bloor Homes has officially handed over 26 new allotments, three accessible raised flower beds, and a public orchard to local residents as part of its Oriel Gardens development in Faringdon, Oxfordshire.
Allotment places are in demand in the town - Faringdon Town Council’s website states there is a long waiting list, making the new spaces at Oriel Gardens a welcome addition.
James King, Member Secretary at Faringdon Allotment Society, said: “Demand for allotments is rising year on year, not only because of the obvious benefit of being able to grow food, save money and have control of what goes into the produce, but also because of the social aspect of coming together in a community space, as well as the health benefits of spending time outdoors and in nature. We have also made them very affordable at just £20 per year.
“We wanted to bring more allotments to the town and our planning work with Bloor Homes means we can do that. It is with great pleasure that we accept the handover of the allotments and welcome applications from local residents.”
According to the National Allotment Society (NAS), a not-for-profit body for UK allotment holders representing 130,000 members, there were 1.4 million allotments in the UK after the Second World War, but by the 1970s this number had been cut by two thirds.
The Society’s work includes engaging with national and local government, landlords, developers and charities to provide, promote and preserve allotments for future generations. In its most recent survey, the Society established there are almost 79,000 people on the waiting list for an allotment across the UK*.
The NAS has also taken a proactive approach to engaging with new housing developments, encouraging allotments to be incorporated into residential building plans, working with developers, planning officers and building experts to provide guidance and allotment expertise, and promoting the integration of plots into building plans.
Kim Benson, Sales Director at Bloor Homes’ South West region said: “There is a real ‘grow your own’ movement right now, yet allotments can be hard to come by. One of the benefits of building new homes is that we are able to agree with the Council on local necessities and plan for their delivery as part of our new development.
“Of the 23.19 acres of allocated green space at Oriel Gardens, which is designed to encourage biodiversity as well as wellbeing, 0.9 acres are dedicated to the new allotments that come with running water, a dedicated allotment car park, and the public orchard.”
Bloor Homes is currently building 68 affordable homes and 312 two, three and four-bedroom homes for private sale at Oriel Gardens located off Park Road in Faringdon, 100 of which have already been completed.
To find out more about the new allotments and to register your interest, visit: faringdontowncouncil.gov.uk/council/allotments/
*Sourced from the Media Pack at The National Allotment Society at https://thenas.org.uk/media