Allotment holders present responses to Christchurch council (From Thisisdorset)

Allotment holders present responses to Christchurch council

5:00pm Friday 10th February 2012 in Latest By Katie Clark

DETERMINED allotment holders presented their responses to Christchurch council’s controversial consultation on Thursday.

Members of allotment associations from Roeshot Hill, Rutland Road, Southey Road and Douglas Avenue all met at the Civic Offices in Bridge Street to present their paperwork to Alan Ottaway, principal officer for open spaces and countryside at Christchurch council.

The council is currently consulting with residents in the borough about the way allotment provision is organised.

Changes could include allocating plots to permanent borough residents only, with one plot per household, charging double for non-residents, ending multiple plots and increasing prices.

The move has come about as the council tries to address an apparent shortfall in plots across the borough, with around 190 people believed to be on the waiting lists.

An extraordinary meeting of the Roeshot Hill Allotment Association recently saw a turnout of around 100 people concerned about the plans while Amanda Geaves from Rutland Road said the proposals had received a mixed response from plotholders at the Fairmile site.

John Campbell, chairman of Roeshot Hill said people were very concerned about the plans.

He said the responses had been collated separately but the associations were working together to urge the council to come to an agreeable solution.

There are five allotment sites of varying sizes in Christchurch including Rutland Road in Fairmile with 106 plots, Douglas Avenue with nine plots, Roeshot Hill with 224 plots, Southey Road with 19 plots and Walkford Road with 78 plots.

The consultation ends on February 12 and will go before the council’s community services committee on February 29.