Special meeting - tomorrow, 27th January 2009

You are invited to attend our next meeting, which takes place on Tuesday, the 27th January 2009 at 7.30 p.m.

The venue is the New Lamp, which is on Bankbottom in Hadfield (click here for a map).

This is a special meeting to discuss the outcome of our meeting with High Peak Borough Council last week, as well as to consider adopting a constitution.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Apply for your allotment now

 We'd like to urge all Hadfield residents that want an allotment to make a formal application to High Peak Borough Council as soon as possible. 

In the past, there have been reports that HPBC have been 'gatekeeping' the list (i.e. saying that it is 'full', 'closed' or similar) which may be a way for them to argue that there is no demand. However, we know that there is rising demand for allotments, both at a local, regional and national level and we need to do our bit to ensure that this demand is met. That means not taking 'no' for an answer.

It's important to remember that Councils have a Statutory (i.e. Legal) Duty to assess demand and to do their best to provide it. That's why it is important that those who want an allotment now or in the future do so formally. 

The application form for High Peak allotments can be downloaded here. You have only two choices between Glossop and Buxton, but do not be discouraged and indicate your choice* and also ask for an acknowledgement. You can obviously complete the form by post/snail mail or return it via email to this email address. If you choose email, please send a carbon copy to us. Whichever method you choose, please let us know so we have your details and can campaign on your behalf and keep you updated with our progress in future.

Please note - if you have already signed the petition which was formerly displayed at the Glossop Wholefood Store then you do not need to apply again. The petition of 450+ signatories has been formally submitted to High Peak Borough Council as an application for allotments by Glossopdale Action for Allotments. 

If you are from Glossop, we suggest you cc your application to GAFA, and if you live elsewhere in the High Peak, why not start your own campaigning group?

*Yes, believe it or not High peak have only two statutory allotment sites for their residents: Jordan Street in Glossop (with literally a handful of plots) & Cunningdale in Buxton. We aim to change that.

Where would you like to see an allotment?

Since we are now in talks with High Peak Borough Council about future allotment sites in Hadfield, it's really important that we have input from local residents. That's why we're asking "where would you like to see an allotment?". 

We don't expect you to know who owns the land, or whether or not it has been reserved for any particular special purpose - think of it as a 'wish list' at this stage. All of your comments are valuable and will be considered seriously.

When contacting us with your ideas, it would be helpful if you could indicate the location as precisely as possible - please bear in mind any roads or landmarks nearby that may help to locate it. 

At a later stage, we will provide information about the sites under discussion in our dialogue with the Council.

Meeting with High Peak Borough Council

On Tuesday last, members of Dig Hadfield met with Officers and Councillors from High Peak Borough Council alongside Glossopdale Action for Allotments and Gamesley Residents Association to discuss possible sites for future allotments in the area.

We can report that the meeting was positive, but we feel that we will need further detailed discussions before we are well and truly on the road to providing sufficient sites for interested people in the area.

We are pleased to report that a further meeting with HPBC is scheduled for next month. In the meantime, it's important that we know about any sites you think are suitable and that people in Hadfield who want an allotment make an application to HPBC. We will be providing more detailed posts about these two issues within the next few days.

Next monthly meeting - 13th January 2009

You are invited to attend our next meeting, which takes place on Tuesday, the 13th January 2009 at 7.30 p.m. The venue is the New Lamp, which is on Bankbottom in Hadfield (click here for a map).

We look forward to seeing you there.