Dozens of people turned up at Lingfield Point this weekend to snap up land set aside for Gro-Zone – a grow your own produce scheme.
Marchday, owner of Lingfield Point, is working on the project in partnership with Friends of the Earth as part of its commitment to community-based food production.
The temporary land is available for one or two growing seasons before Marchday moves forward with its plans for sustainable housing on the site. These plans include dedicated allotments for the use of occupiers and potentially long-term opportunities for non-residents.
The temporary project will allow local people who have signed up to the scheme to begin growing their own produce while on the Council’s waiting list for an allotment, which can take up to two years due to the shortage of available land.
The 1,000 square metres immediately available will not be divided into separate plots. Each participant will be allocated space for each growing season with both normal growing beds and large one tonne ‘grow bags’ available. The scheme will be administered by Friends of the Earth.
Three beehives have also recently been established as part of Lingfield Point’s on-going drive to embrace sustainable and ecologically friendly initiatives. It is hoped that honey from the bees will be on available from next summer at Lingfield Point’s Café Meos. Other organic produce will also be grown on site and used at Little Lingfields nursery and Café Meos.
Eddie Humphries, Lingfield Point estate manager said: “Sustainability is at the heart of the future vision for Lingfield Point with our ten-year, mixed use live-work-play masterplan. We plan a new ‘green village’ and this community will be surrounded by allotments. Further allotments and trees will be set out along the site’s boundary.
“Until we reach this stage in our development using available land to offer temporary allotments is the perfect solution. Allotment gardening is a fantastic hobby and has so many benefits - it's cheap, it's good for you, and it can save hundreds of pounds a year on food.
“We have proved that there is a great demand and we are pleased to be working in partnership with Friends of the Earth to offer local people the facilities to begin growing their own food.”
www.lingfieldpoint.co.uk
