A ‘trailblazing’ new allotment company that has set up on the edge of Bristol is appealing for a local community organisation to help them turn two acres of their controversial site into a market garden.
Roots Allotments, who are currently in a planning battle with local residents and North Somerset Council over turning a field next to the entrance to Leigh Woods into a 700-plot allotment community, announced they are looking for a social enterprise to come on board with them, and take over two acres of the site to grow food.
Roots founders said they were looking for a local community interest company (CIC) to help launch the new market garden. “These social enterprises grow a broad selection of fruit and vegetables on location, which are then sold to residents and local businesses, as well as distributed throughout the community,” a Roots spokesperson said.
“A key requirement of the market garden is to donate produce to vulnerable people in the local area, providing much-needed access to nutritiously-dense food. Across its growing communities, Roots and its members have donated thousands of portions of fruit and vegetables and surplus produce to those in need,” she added.
“The market garden will cover up to two acres of the growing community at Abbots Leigh, with the CIC paying just £1 per year in rent. Alongside financial support to help get the project up and running, Roots will also be on hand to provide any advice, support and guidance the CIC may need,” she said, adding that the Roots team was in discussions already with a ‘number of food organisations and charities in the local area’ to help launch the market garden, as well as accepting proposals from suitable partners.
Roots has had a challenging start to its project at Abbots Leigh, on the edge of Bristol. Local residents against their conversion of a large field on the main road through the village into a large allotment site have launched a campaign against the change, and now North Somerset council planners have warned Roots that they need planning permission for some of the infrastructure they have set up.
Roots have been advertising on the site for a CIC to get involved with them for a number of weeks, but announced their search formally at the end of this week. Friday was the deadline for people to submit comments of objection or support to North Somerset Council on Roots’ planning application.
Will Gay, one of the founders of Roots, said: “Market gardens offer a fantastic way to contribute to local food production, all while increasing access within the local community to nutritional food.
“We have earmarked a spot at our Bristol growing community and we’re actively on the hunt for a like-minded partner who is looking to grow their own food and support their local community.
“We have seen real success from similar initiatives at some of our other sites and we hope to replicate this within the community at Bristol.
“Our focus is not just on providing spaces for people to grow their own food, but increasing access to quality produce that is rich in nutrients and free from chemicals – especially for vulnerable people, where this can be incredibly challenging. We are already seeing the positive impact our growing community is having among our members and we can’t wait to grow this further within the wider community,” he added.