Allotmentsplanned forderelictsites in city

VACANT council land will be used to create new allotments in Sheffield in a bid to cut a waiting list of more than 2,000 people who have shown an interest in growing their own food.

Members of Sheffield Council’s ruling cabinet are expected to approve plans drawn up by officers to use derelict sites for the plots after a survey of city land was undertaken.

Five pilot plots will be set up including land at Ecclesfield Park, Lane End in Chapeltown, the Old Jessops Hospital site in the city centre and an overgrown area in Parson Cross.

Coun Shaffaq Mohammed, the council’s spokesman for communities, said more plots would then be provided as and when the authority could make further land available.

He added: “Local people will benefit from this project by being able to grow their own food. We aim to support a wide range of food growing opportunities, from window boxes and private gardens, community gardens and allotments to city farms and community supported agriculture.

“We carried out a wide-ranging review of our allotment policies last year involving tenants, allotment societies, community groups and those on the waiting lists. This was invaluable in devising the way forward.”

Sheffield Council currently provides 72 allotment sites in the city with just over 3,000 plots. But the availability of the allotments across the city varies considerably and the overall waiting list for plots is now 2,300.

In the last year 200 so-called “unlettable” plots on eight sites were cleared and made available for new tenants and the council said it would continue a programme of clearing overgrown plots.

Coun Mohammed added: “We intend to give support and training to grow healthy food and provide additional food growing opportunities in the city.”