Home News Allotments to be provided at St Anne's

Allotments to be provided at St Anne's

Wednesday, 08 April 2009

IN response to the ever-increasing interest in people growing fruit and vegetables, Dublin City Council has announced its intention to provide a number of garden allotments at St Anne’s Park, Raheny. As part of a pilot scheme, the local authority intends to provide space for 45 allotments in a walled garden area of the park to people who have registered on its allotments list. A number of sites around the city were examined in relation to site security, access and soil fertility before the St Anne’s site was eventually chosen. Brian Murphy, chairperson of the Dublin Allotments’ Association, which comprises over 40 members, said they were “delighted” with the news. “While a lot of our members would have their names down on the city council allotments waiting list, we would be aware that other people would also be on the list,” said Mr Murphy. “As yet we don’t exactly know how the city council intends to allocate the allotments, if it’s a first come first served basis or what the criteria will be.” Mr Murphy said recently there had been massive increase in interest in people growing their own fruit and vegetables. “The range that can be grown in an allotment is quite broad, anything from carrots, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, rhubarb and strawberries; it’s endless really,” he added. Dublin City Council acknowledged that there has been a significant upsurge in the level of interest in allotment gardening in the city. A spokesman for the local authority said they been in receipt of numerous recent representations to provide allotments. “The council have developed sketch proposals for the walled garden area, which indicates that it is possible to provide 45 allotments with ancillary services such as lock up stores, propagation tunnels, composting area and communal community garden area,” he told Northside People. It is hoped that not only will the allotments provide holders with home grown fruit and vegetables but that they would act as demonstration gardens to a high standard which would encourage other home owners to consider producing fruit and vegetables in their own back gardens.  “Obviously, the St Anne’s pilot project, if successful, will be a template for similar allotment developments around the city subject to suitable sites being identified,” the spokesman added. Cllr Bronwen Maher (Ind) also welcomed the news. “There has been an upsurge in interest in gardening and allotment growing in the past few years,” said Cllr Maher.  “St Anne’s Park staff have responded by drawing up a plan for a sizeable pilot scheme. “It was once very common for householders to grow their own vegetables and fruit, particularly apple and pear trees. However, many people have now lost these skills. “With climate change considerations and a greater appreciation of eating organic and locally grown food, people now want to get back to basics.”