Derelict land turned into new allotments
New allotments are designed and made on land off Station Field, South Elmsall, after if has being derelict for 30+ years. L to R) Deputy Town Clerk June Patton, Richie Spence - member of the allotment association, Cllr Bryan Capstick, Town Clerk Clare Baxter. h7653a205
A DERELICT piece of land in South Elmsall that was a hotspot for fly tipping and anti-social behaviour has been transformed into allotments by dedicated residents.
Station Field stood unused for more than 30 years - but it has finally been spruced up and made into a useful space for the community.
The 12 new plots were created by the Station Field Allotment Group after nearly a year of hard work.
Richard Spence, 63, was fed up with the area being used as a dumping ground so he decided to do something about it.
Mr Spence, of Priory Estate, South Elmsall, said: “I wanted an allotment and heard about the land so we asked the town council for permission to develop it and they agreed.”
The group – which included his wife Sandra, Vinnie Harrison, Cliff Womersley and Stephen Tarr, set to work on the land while applying for grants but were unsuccessful so spent their own money on the project.
The town council later gave the group £1,000 after seeing the effort they had made.
He said: “It wasn’t about the money, we just wanted to do it to make it a better place.”
They planted trees, erected fences and formed pathways.
Mr Spence said: “I am ecstatic with it. Hopefully it will stop the fly tipping as people will see the work we have put into it.”
The plots will be completed next month.
Coun Bryan Capstick, deputy leader of South Elmsall Town Council, said he was grateful to the group as they has done an exceptional job.
To rent one of the plots, contact South Elmsall Town Council on 01977 642335.
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rrolle55
Sunday, February 5, 2012 at 06:25 PMthe old allotments were not closed 30 years plus but only in 1997. The tenants were kicked off by the then councellors for some unknown weird reason only councillors can come up with. Some tenants had rented allotments for decades, one fellow used to grow his own tobacco and was an authority on wlid herbs and their benefits. The tenants were left bereft.The old allotments were then left derelict by the council to become as Richard Spence said a veritable dumping ground. Then the mad council decided to transport the site of allotments to be adjacent to Priory Estate, an enterprise costing a few hundred thousand of £s. Needless to say it was a complete failure not a vegetable ever came to fruition. Would it be more beneficial to have some of the elected Councillors to be endowed with some vestage of business acumen. I wish all success to rejuvenation of the allotments
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