Long wait for Cranbrook allotments soon to be over

Two sites have been officially named and will soon be handed over to the town council

Cranbrook gardeners who have waited up to three years to get an allotment will soon see their hopes come to fruition, according to the town council.

There are currently 32 people on the waiting list for the 28 allotments.

Up until now the town council has not been able to adopt ownership of the two allotment sites, near the education campus, because work was continuing nearby to get houses built and occupied.

But, with the first occupants expected to move in at the end of November, the council expects the allotment sites to be handed over soon. The tenancy will be redrafted and delegated to the town clerk, and the council will then be able to prepare the allotments and start allocating them to the applicants.

At the town council meeting on Monday, November 19, councillors agreed on the names for the two sites: Crannaford Allotments and Southbrook Allotments.

Providing the allotments has been a long-term aim of the council, and not only because of the public demand. They will also help the Healthy New Town initiative by creating opportunities for residents to spend more time outside, getting exercise, and growing some of their own recommended five-a-day fruit and vegetables.