Gardeners flock to city allotment plots

Aug 9 2007 by Caroline Innes, Liverpool Daily Post

LIVERPOOL residents are enjoying the good life as record numbers are becoming allotment plot holders and growing fruit and vegetables.

Around 6,000 are involved in the city’s allotments, including more families, young people and schools.

Almost 2,000 plots, covering 64 hectares, are now cultivated by green-fingered gardeners and last night the city’s allotment enthusiasts said the image of the gardener in a flat cap and wellies was long gone.

Instead, a new generation of gardeners seeking a more eco-friendly lifestyle are going green, supporting bio-diversity and turning their hands to allotments.

The city council has invested thousands of pounds in many sites, improving facilities and making many disabled-friendly – with plans to have all the allotments more accessible for people with disabilities by 2010. Liverpool city council’s execut- ive member for the environ-ment, Cllr Berni Turner, said: “It’s great news that Liverpool residents are making the most of these fantastic spaces.

“Healthy living is a priority and I’m delighted so many young people are taking up the challenge.

“There are so many benefits to becoming a plot holder – it’s great exercise, you can grow your own fruit and vegetables and it’s also a great place to meet new people and relax.

“Over the next few years, we’ll be investing a huge amount of time and money in our allotments, and I’m hoping that we’ll be able to enter some of them into next year’s Green Pennant awards. The awards are given to high-quality green spaces which are looked after by voluntary and community groups.”

Gardeners at the Allerton allotments in Keswick Road have already had a great year after scooping five out of seven prizes at last month’s city council allotments awards.

The accolades included Best Plot and Best kept plots.

And with National Allotment Week starting on Monday, plot holder Noel Croft, of Hunts Cross, said more people should get involved. He said: “There is nothing quite like growing your own fruit and vegetables organically.”

To mark National Allot- ment Week, Dunbabin allot- ments, in Childwall, will be holding an open day on Sunday, August 12, from 9am until 4pm.

Around 140 plots are vacant across 23 sites.

TO FIND out more, call the council on 0151 233 6339/6365.

carolineinnes