Harrow Go Green 2021 launched - competition for biodiversity awareness and enhancement

 

Bringing you news of an enterprising event in Harrow and one that enables us to look forward at a pretty gloomy time.

A competition for Harrow to raise awareness of, and enhance the borough’s biodiversity

 

Harrow Biodiversity and Environment working with Harrow Council

 

Nature is part of what makes London a special city. In fact, more than 14,000 species of plants, animals and fungi have been recorded here.  Biodiversity is the technical name for the variety of life found in an area - species, habitats and their myriad relationships.  Human impact has caused an enormous loss of biodiversity globally, and this threatens the stability of all the planet’s environments, as well as our own well-being.

 

Think of a golf course, or manicured park.  Biodiversity here is very low: just a few species of grasses, none of which support many other species.  However, the same land managed for a variety of native plants will support many species of grasses and flowering plants which, in turn, support a huge variety of insects and other creatures both above and below ground, which will in turn attract birds and other species.  Biodiversity is much higher and the environment much healthier because of this.

 

Nature affects all of us.  It helps to clean our air, moderates climate change, reduces pollution of all types and manages rainfall.  It improves our health and ultimately saves money.  Diversity in London’s population, as well as its habitats, wildlife and landscapes, characterise many London boroughs.  Harrow is fortunate in that it is especially rich in green and blue spaces.  The richer our local biodiversity, the healthier our nature and environment.  However, more must be done to protect and enhance biodiversity everywhere: not just in nature reserves.

 

Harrow Go Green 2021 seeks to do that. It aims to inform and educate borough residents, children and businesses about the importance of biodiversity.  It will encourage activity which will help to improve biodiversity and our own environment.  Harrow Council is working with the newly formed Harrow Biodiversity and Environment to deliver the competition, a really positive event during these difficult times.  Support is coming from key organisations, locally as well as nationally, including Harrow Heritage Trust, Harrow Nature Conservation Forum, the Green Party, Harrow Nature Heroes, the Conservation Volunteers, PlantLife and Harrow in Leaf.

 

The competition launched in November 2020 and will be open to applications until the end of May 2021.  Projects can be submitted into the following categories:

 

·       Schools and Colleges

·       Best Front Space

·       Junior Projects

·       Best Garden Managed for Nature

·       Commercial Projects and Developers

·       Most Original Idea to Enhance Biodiversity

 

Local businesses are giving fantastic support, providing prizes, special discounts and publicity.  These include Jacques Amand International, Franchi Seeds, Armour Design Studio and Pinner Photography.

 

One competition sponsor is Melcourt Industries Limited, a leading producer of peat-free and sustainably sourced composts and soil conditioners.  They educate commercial gardeners, as well as residents, about the importance of protecting our peat bogs and woodlands.  Many projects in the borough are now utilising these products and making a real change, helping Harrow become a peat free borough!

 

A series of online presentations and workshops will suggest ways in which you can develop your own space, and maybe present a winning project.  Whether its pots on a balcony, an insect shelter, planting a wildflower meadow, selection of plants for insects or a wildlife pond in a garden, every single project DOES make a difference.  The first workshop will be by Stephanie Irvine, a community gardener and project manager for the Orchard Project.  She will help you develop your garden for wildlife, whether it’s a single square metre, or an entire garden.  Next will be Andrew Wood speaking about how to make gardens havens for butterflies, moths and other insects.

 

So please enter the competition, help make a difference in Harrow and raise awareness about enhancing biodiversity.  It does not have to be a complete garden redesign.  Even small projects make a massive difference - whether it’s a clever way of managing rainwater in the garden, creating shelter and habitats, or plantings designed to encourage local wildlife.  Please visit the website to get full details and register.  www.harrowgogreen.com

Defending the Council's role in allotment management

I could only attend the first half of last night's consultation  meeting on self-management of allotments. My impression by the time I left was that the majority of the large audience of allotment holders was sceptical about such a scheme - although that might have been changed by later presentations.

Council officers made it clear from the beginning that the consultation did not constitute a recommendation for allotments to be self-managed, 'nor is there a requirement to do so.'

Despite persuasive speeches from  Richard King of Barnet Allotment Federation and Richard Wiltshire of the National Allotment Society (there were other speakers later) the Q&A sessions revealed problems, not least (although it was said to be only a few hours a week), the amount of work involved in self-management (budgeting, managing lettings, rent collection, bank account, public liability insurance, dispute management) seemed daunting. 'We just want to get on with gardening' someone muttered.

The self-managed Allotment Association would take over maintenance of trees, paths, fencing and water and the question immediately arose of the inequality between allotment sites where some would face flooding problems or contain a large number of mature trees that would require maintenance.

Such inequalities would require such allotments to put up rents in order to have a fund to cover major expenditure while others would require less of a contingency and so would have lower rents. A response that there would need to be a 'levelling off' between sites  before they were handed over to Associations was not very convincing.

The audience were not much impressed by the guest speakers revelation that self-management had increased rents and that this was justified by the new freedom they had to improve the allotment.

Speakers from the audience suggested there was a need for an overall body to manage cross-borough waiting list rather than each independent self-managed site to have its own waiting list.

The argument, particularly from Barnet, that self-management was preferable to poor council management ('Easy Council' Barnet wants to get rid of everything anyway) was not in general favourable received, with  praise for the work of the current Allotments Officer, in allotment management, training, promoting organic gardening and sustainability and the overall Council food growing strategy,  despite more general criticisms of the Council.

Brent has 22 allotment sites, only one of which is currently self-managed, with the 21 managed by the Food Growing and Allotments Officer. At the end of January 2016 there were 1,064 plots of which 1,029 were let and a waiting list of 201 individuals.

Officers did refer to the Council's need to make savings and the possibility of budget cuts in the service but also stated that there were no plans to sell off sites to developers.

The legal position is that Section 23 of the Small Holdings and Allotments Act 1908 puts the Council under a duty to provide a sufficient number of allotments with powers to improve, maintain and manage allotments. However, he legislation does not set minimum standards and these powers are discretionary - not a duty: 'Each individual authority can decide how to use these powers and what proportion of its resources to allocate to the service.'

The proponents of self-management quoted this as a reason to opt for self-management as it would be easier to defend allotment provision if it was self-financing.

The almost forgotten 'Big Society' was quoted.

World Teachers’ Day: Empowering teachers, building sustainable societies

From Education International

On 5 October, World Teachers’ Day, Education International, with its affiliates and partners worldwide, will highlight the new 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals, and the crucial role teachers will play in ensuring it is implemented.

“Every year on World Teachers’ Day, we celebrate educators and the central role they play in providing children everywhere with a quality education,” says a Joint Message on the occasion of the World Teachers’ Day (WTD) signed by UNESCO, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), UNICEF, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and Education International (EI).

“Today, as the global community comes together to support the new 2030 UN Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals, that central role has never been more significant”, according to the global organisations.

Education goal

The new global education goal, Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4, which is at the heart of the Education 2030 Agenda, calls for inclusive and equitable quality education and the promotion of lifelong learning opportunities for all.

The global organisations underline the fact that “realising this goal is critical to achieving all our global development targets … for strong societies depend on well-educated citizens and a well-trained workforce”.

This agenda can only be realised if society will “invest in recruiting, supporting, and empowering teachers”, they add. But around the world today, “far too many teachers are undervalued and disempowered”.

Quality teachers

The UNESCO Institute for Statistics further estimates that countries will need to recruit 12.5 million primary teachers to achieve the goal of universal primary education by 2020. Over four million new lower secondary teacher positions also need to be created to achieve universal lower secondary education by 2020.

Now, by committing to the Education 2030 agenda, the UN Member States agree to substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers. This will be done through various measures including international cooperation around teacher training in developing countries, especially the least developed countries and small island developing states. This is an important step and, now, “we must live up to these commitments”.

Governments should “redouble efforts to engage in dialogue with teachers and their organisations”, and “intensify efforts to provide sufficiently qualified, well deployed, motivated and supported teachers to every school, every community, and every child”, the organisations declare.

Quality conditions

The global organisations also insist that teachers should be empowered through the provision of decent working conditions, well-resourced, safe and healthy working environments, trust, professional autonomy, and academic freedom.

The organisations reiterate that the ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers (1966), the UNESCO Recommendation concerning on the Status of Higher Education Teaching Personnel (1997), and the ILO Policy Guidelines on the Promotion of Decent Work for Early Childhood Education Personnel (2014) are essential international standards and benchmarks for the teaching profession.

That is why, on the first World Teachers' Day of a new education agenda for global development, the organisations appeal to the international community to value, support, and empower teachers globally: “For it is they who will educate a new generation of children who, in turn, will carry forward all our goals to build a better world for all”.

EI affiliates celebrate World Teachers' Day

Last but not least, this year’s WTD in the context of SDG 4 will be celebrated in diverse ways by EI’s many affiliates across the world.
http://news.ei-ie.org/interspire/link.php…

Community rallies to Edible Garden cause on St Raphs

Delicious veggie food proved popular

It was a beautiful early Autumn afternoon for the Edible Garden event on St Raphael's estate this afternoon. The initiative by Sufra NW London Foodbank and Well London involves the creation of fruit and vegetable growing beds in a space previously used as an engineering yard. The soil is contaminated so everything has to be grown in imported soil in high containers.

The initiative involves a Food Growing Group and a Cooking Group. Plans for the space include a polytunnel and a pond (frogs are great for snaffling up slug and snail eggs).

Children planted some broad bean seeds and onion sets

Face painting was as popular as ever

Work continued on lining the pond with sand while children enjoyed playing

Plans for the site

'Give Together - Eat Together'

Camden seeking Sustainability Engagement Officer

Readers will be aware of the cuts made in Brent Council's environmental department. Interesting then to see this job advertised in neighbouring Camden:

SUSTAINABILITY ENGAGEMENT OFFICER

Sustain our community

Our team

Sustainability and Green Space is a busy, high-profile team working across the organisation and with external partners and the wider community, currently based at 5 St Pancras Square.

The role

You’ll lead on the design, delivery and promotion of green community engagement initiatives and events and develop partnership approaches aimed at increasing green actions and green activism amongst Camden residents and communities. The key focus of the role will be on domestic energy efficiency and affordable warmth, air quality and food growing and nature conservation. You will be responsible for coordinating the provision of green advice, information and resources through a variety of channels.

In collaboration with the communications team, you’ll be responsible for managing the design, project management and promotion of green community engagement initiatives, ensuring their successful delivery through cross working within the council and with partners, leading internal and external project teams. You’ll also provide or commission advice and training on green issues to internal staff and the wider community.

Applying analysis and intelligence skills, you’ll conduct research on best practice and the latest thinking relating to community engagement, synthesising findings, contributing to proposals and recommendations that fit the organisational and strategic context in Camden.

Full details HERE

Harrow College proudly shows the way on Sustainability

It was great to visit Harrow College again today to run an environmental stall for their Sustainability Week.  I encouraged staff and students to fill in an on-line survey to see the impact of their life to see many earth planets their current life style was based on. Unfortunately some were consuming the resources of 3 planets or more, when of course we only have one. The lowest was 2.1 planets.

The awareness raising week is busier than ever as the college website demonstrates:

Sustainability Week is a chance for you to participate in lots of activities and information stands for all students and staff to learn about ways we can do more to preserve the earth’s resources, from bees to water conservation, cycling to waste management.

Activities will be at both campuses as follows:
Monday 23rd March - Harrow Weald campus

• Pond and meadow
• Green Party
• Recycling, Up-cycling, food sourcing and charity collections

Tuesday 24th March - Harrow Weald campus

• Cycling events
• Waste management and recycling
• Beekeeping
• Water conservation
• Resourcefulness/ reducing waste
• Up-cycling, food sourcing and charity collections

Thursday 26th March - Harrow on the Hill campus

• Waste management and recycling
• Green party
• Water conservation
• SWISH event (clothes swapping/ recycling)
• Solar panels
• Up-cycling, food sourcing and charity collections

Friday 27th March - Harrow on the Hill campus

• Recycling/ up-cycling
• Food sourcing
• Charity collections
• Resourcefulness/ reducing waste

Pop along to learn more about Sustainability with Harrow College.

I  was interested to see the progress that has been made on their pond and wildlife area on the Harrow Weald campus which is carefully tended by the students.  John proudly told me about the habitats students have created (see below) and the impressive pond life that was seen over the summer, although apparently the frogs still prefer the pond in the greenhouse.

Harrow College shows the way on inclusion and sustainability

Tony Medhurst, Principal, presents award to Priya Ramaiya

I was honoured to be invited to Harrow College Student Awards yesterday as one of the keynote speakers.  I was impressed, and moved, as the award ceremony progressed, at how clear it was that the College and its students valued the inclusion of students with special needs and disabilities.  The range of awards was extraordinary and the talents of the students shone through.

Particularly impressive was Priya Ramaiya (above) whose citation for the Courage and Commitment award speaks for itself:

Priya is one of Harrow College's most courageous, determined and committed sudents. A few years ago she was struck by lightning and had to spend a considerable amlunt of time in hopsital. Her injuries left her in a wheelchair but she has not let what happened to get in the way of her dream of studying medical science. She is an absolutely amazing young lady.

I presented the Environmental Contribution  Award to 'Harrow College Low Carbon Cafe':

During the Big Rig Challenge nine of our students took part in setting up a solar powered shower installation as part of a competition in partnership with WorldSkills and the National Skills Academy. The task included setting up a water harvesting system that could heat water in an envirobmentally friendly way. The learners showed great commitment and enthusiasm during the challenge and gained a valuable insight in to new green deal technologies.

I used the occasion in my keynote speech to urge the students to  harness their talents and determination to answer the challenge posed by climate change:

 

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Thank you very much for inviting me here today. In 2010 I came to the college  take part in the General Election hustings. Perhaps the election result will be different in 2015!

Recently I visited  Harrow Weald campus during Sustainability Week and saw all the work that has been going on to bring home the message that everyone has a role to play in ensuring that there is a world fit for your children and your children’s children. The college is to be congratulated in making sustainability one of its strategic objectives.

A sustainable future is one where we are not living as if we have the resources of three planets rather than one, where we are not increasing emissions of greenhouse gases and thus increasing global warming, where all have enough to eat and no-one is grabbing more than their fair share - or wasting what they do have, where the air we breathe and water we rely on for life are unpolluted.

Climate change and extreme weather events are happening around us now. I see it in small ways as a gardener when strawberries start flowering in November or pear trees blossom before bees emerge from the winter and therefore are not pollinated. We have experienced extreme weather including floods.  We see it on the grand scale in the melting of the ice caps, disappearing glaciers, methane releases from tundra and rising sea levels.

Business is waking up to the threat, Recently a report was published in the US which warns business of the consequences of climate change:

The study says there’s a better-than-ever chance that as much as $23 billion worth of Florida property will be underwater by the middle of the century.

But the report projects something investors call a “tail risk” — a low-probability but extremely high-cost event that pushes losses far above $23 billion. For Florida property, the “tail risk” is that there’s a 1 in 100 chance that by the end of this century, as much as $681 billion worth of property will be submerged.

Robert Rubin, another Wall Street veteran and former Treasury secretary under President Clinton, is also involved in the Risky Business study. He says the threats are widespread across the economy.

“Agricultural yields could fall by 50 percent or more in some parts of the country,” Rubin says. “You could have temperatures that prevented people from working outdoors for some part of the year in certain parts of the country. All of this has massive effects, and all of this is a very realistic projection of what is likely to happen if we don’t act.”

“If we don’t act” – what does that mean? (The end of the world as we know it within a few generations?)

Last year I helped organise a Brent Students Conference on Climate Change and we looked at how the actions we could take to combat climate change.:

These included:

·      The small changes that we can make in our everyday lives – reducing energy and water consumption, walking or riding bikes instead of driving, supporting local businesses and shops, reducing consumption (do you really need to update your phone?), growing your own and providing habitats for plants, insects and animals.
 
·      Action by local councils working with schools, colleges, businesses on insulation, micro-energy production, local food growing, better public transport.
 
·      Looking at developing the green economy locally and nationally through training opportunities in green jobs through colleges and links with universities, green technology, green enterprise zones – the campaign A Million Climate Jobs has has lots of ideas.

However this can all seem small-time when we realize the extent of the problem.

Imagine this scene: Houses have collapsed, bridges are down, people are trapped and crying for help. We scramble in the dust and dirt rescuing those we can.  Meanwhile out to sea, unknown to us a Tsunami is gathering, a huge wave is heading our way. We are concentrating on moving the rocks and bricks, we care (quite rightly) about the desperate people we are trying to rescue. We finally look up at the roar of the sea, but it is too late. The mountainous waves engulf and destroy all in its path – rescuers and victims.

The current economic situation: unemployment, welfare cuts, student fees, housing crisis is like the earthquake. Dealing with it is important and necessary. But Climate Change is the Tsunami – it is coming at us and at an increasing pace.

We have to look up. We have to deal with it. Or it will be too late. We will be engulfed.

And the ‘we’ MUST include governments. The world HAS to work together. The threat is too big for just individual actions.

But that is where this ‘we’ must influence the ‘they’. We need to be part of a movement which will force governments to take action.  They are failing to work together effectively and time is running out. There are talks in Paris in 2015 to once again try and get the nations working together. We have to make sure that this time they produce real results.

So the final part of the action plan after individual actions, local council actions and national economic changes is international action. That is where each and every one of us has to exert pressure on politicians and governments – it is a matter of survival.

Tonight has been fantastic but I urge you to use the skills, knowledge, creativity and determination that you have shown tonight to take part in that struggle for the future of humanity.

Harrow College students on the path to sustainability

With students at Harrow College today

I was very pleased to be invited to Harrow College (Harrow Weald Campus) as a Green Party guest for their Sustainability Week today.

There were stalls on energy saving, bee keeping, water conservation, the wildlife area, recycling and People and Planet. I was particularly impressed by the work staff and students from the SLDD (Students with Learning Difficulties and Disabilities) were undertaking creating a pond, wild flower meadow and insect and mammal habitats.  The students were selling some of their potted plants as Mother's Day presents to help raise money for their project.

Inside the Poly Tunnel

The Poly Tunnel pond had tadpoles already with growth hastened by the heat

Students have painted a Hockney style mural on the container in the wildlife area to blend with the surroundings

Log piles provide habitats for insects and small mammals

Creating habitats from recycled materials

A competition win enabled the college to install a 12ft pond with stduents doing the digging out

Students at their stall

I left Harrow College feeling that from small beginnings something very special, environmentally and educationally, was being achieved. It was a privilege to visit. 

I hope the muntjac let the plants grow!

Leading environmentalist denounces Brent Council in resignation letter

Francis Henry, who has voluntarily supported the Brent Sustainability Forum, latterly as chair,for 6 years has resigned in protest at the sacking of one of the key environmental officers at Brent Council.

He has called on other members of the Forum to join him in  resigning and to consider making the forum website LINK independent of the council.

His letter to acting Chief Executive Christine Gilbert says:

CONSTRUCTIVE DISMISSAL  MARION HOFMANN

I  have been the Vice Chair initially and subsequently the Chair of the Brent Sustainability Forum (BSF) since 2008.

Together with others we have worked hard to help Brent Council to deliver on important environmental issues. We always had great support from Marion who was truly dedicated to the cause.

I and others are appalled how Brent Council and your senior officers have treated one of our colleagues who has contributed so much to public engagement and the promotion of environmental issues.

It would seem that as an organisation Brent Council and some of your officers in Environmental Services will do everything possible to get rid of good and trusted officers who understand how to work with local people and who are truly committed to the cause.

I am so disgusted by the conduct of Brent Council and the conduct of your senior officers that I am resigning as Chair of Brent Sustainability Forum and ceasing my involvement with anything involving your Council.

You and the whole Council should be ashamed in the way you treat your valued members of staff who have the trust and respect of the local community.

Brent Council sacks sustainability worker as climate change intensifies

The country may be experiencing the worse floods for decades and chaotic weather conditions becoming the rule rather than the exception but Brent Council seem to have barely noticed. As it becomes evident that we need to prepare for climate change they are moving in the opposite direction as this guest blog by Sussed Green shows.

Brent Council are again restructuring their departments. One recent example of the re-structure of the Environmental Projects & Policy team is a typical example of how Brent Council wastes money. The restructure included 4 staff. The 2 staff leading on Carbon Reduction - where we are miserably failing with having only reached 11% instead of 25% promised - were not affected and assimilated.

Of the other two, one took voluntary redundancy because of the evening and weekend work involved. The other person, who only last year achieved a personal staff achievement award, was incremental in achieving the long awaited Fairtrade Borough status, led on outreach work with residents via the Brent Sustainability Forum and achieved  69% of positive biodiversity management was let go because she didn’t ‘pass’ the interview that was set for her, even though she is  a model for effective cooperation between the Council and civil society in Brent. The Council will now have to pay two sets of redundancy and pay to recruit a new member of staff at extra expense. The decision raises serious questions about the Council’s commitment to Fairtrade, sustainability and value for money.

Have you say on the future of food growing in Brent

Watering a seed bed at Birchen Grove last week

I had ear-marked today for working on my allotment, especially watering the seed beds...  So today's rain means that I can look at Brent Council's 'Food for Thought-A Draft Food Growing and Allotments Strategy'.

Few Brent Council documents start with a quotation from Gandhi,

To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves

and this sets the tone for an unusually thoughtful, well-researched and imaginative document.  However, as I read it I could not help but have a nagging voice at the back of my mind asking, 'but will they have the staff to make it happen?'

The report lists the benefits of local food growing, each one supplemented by a Case Study:

1. Supplying a sustainable source of food
2. Improving health and wellbeing
3. Acting as a valued community resource
4. Allotments and food growing as an educational tool
5. Delivering a resource for improving biodiversity
6. Establishing an link between gardening and engagement with the arts
7. Providing open space amenities for all residents
8. Contributing to climate change and energy reduction objectives

Raised vegetable beds at Chalkhill Primary School

Working as I do with children from Chalkhill Primary School on their school and community allotment I was pleased to read:

It is widely recognised that there is a strong need for children to be taught about here food comes from and the valuable contribution of fruit and vegetables towards attaining a healthy lifestyle.

Absolutely, not to mention the sheer pleasure children get from sowing, nurturing, harvesting and eating their own produce.  This unsolicited letter from a parent whose son visited my Birchen Grove allotment testifies to the enthusiasm that can be generated:

All evening H could not stop telling me and his dad about his trip to the allotments. it was very interesting to hear what a good educational experience it had been for him. He was telling us things about flowers, fruits and vegetables that we did not even know. I am very pleased that H had the opportunity to go to the allotments and widen his knowledge in a 'hands on' way and it is good that the school are able to make use of local area resources in such a way.

The strategy suggests extending the provision of temporary food growing spaces for community groups where land is available in spaces awaiting development such as South Kilburn and Wembley. Working with Capital Growth and Brent Sustainability Forum they will provide an umbrella structure for the coordination of food growing spaces and initiatives across Brent and will liaise with Transition Town Kensal to Kilburn and Transition Willesden  to encourage local communities to grow food as part of improving the local environment. They suggest utilising ward working money for food growing projects in areas such as Queensbury and Sudbury and for raised beds at Eton Grove and Grove Park. They suggest the provision of growing spaces in new developments such as the Willesden Green Cultural Centre.

Reviewing current allotment provision in Brent  the report notes the increased demand for plots nationally at 57 people per 100 plots, with 265 confirmed applicants on the Brent waiting list. Based on average turnover it is estimated that the current applicants on the waiting list could be accommodated in approximately three years.  However, as with school places, available plots may not be near enough (or good enough) for some applicants and waiting lists for some plots will be longer, while less popular plots may have vacancies.

Allotment fees in Brent went up substantially last year with some concessions removed, and will increase again from this month. Brent allotments are now more expensive than any of our neighbouring boroughs and the third most expensive in London.

Borough	Standard Charge 2012/13	Standard Charge 2012/13	Concession Charge 2012/13	Concession Charge 2012/13
	5 poles	10 poles	5 poles	10 poles
Brent	£78.75	£157.50	£39.40	£118
Camden	£46.50	£78.00	£23.25	£39.00
Harrow	£21.00	£42.00	£11.50	£23.00

The steepness of the rent rise provoked a revolt by allotment holders last year and I challenged Cllr Powney on the method they had used to set the new rents. LINK Contrary to claims last year  that the increased rents still meant plots were subsidised, figures show that the standard 5 and 10 pole plots involve a small net contribution to the Council.

The report's analysis shows that the profile of those on the waiting list now constitute more people in full-time employment (42% against 24% of plot holders) and more women (54% against 40% of plot holders). In order to meet the rising demand the Council suggests that plots can be split when they become vacant with 10 poles converted into two 5 pole plots and a higher proportion of 2.5 pole allotments.  46% of plot holders agreed with this strategy but 33%  strongly opposed. Plots that have been abandoned often remain uncultivated for some time because of cumbersome checking and re-letting arrangements and it is suggested that this could be streamlined. However the effectiveness of this may be hindered by lack of staffing.

The combination of increased charges and smaller plots could change the demographic of allotments considerably in the long-term with fewer retired males with large plots which they tend regularly.  The report acknowledges the social side of allotments and I can vouch for the fact that for many retired men it provides a kind of 'work substitute' with many almost clocking on and off and banter about 'are you doing the late shift today?'. The importance of this in providing structure, sociability and purpose to post-retirement life should not be underestimated.Interestingly 55% of the waiting list but only 26% of existing plot holders stated that the main reason for growing their own vegetables is for healthy easting and exercise and a choice to grow organically.

Respondents are asked to comment on the Vision and Objectives of the Draft Strategy:

The vision of the Food Growing and Allotments Strategy is to provide a range of food growing opportunities accessible to all parts of the community and to promote the benefits of a healthy lifestyle within a greener borough.

Objectives:

1. To provide efficiently managed allotment sites that provide good value for money and are accessible to all
2. To develop and broaden the range of food growing opportunities available though increased partnership working.
3. To promote the benefits of food growing as part of a healthy lifestyle within a greener borough.

The consultation lasts until May 31st. Documentation (substantial) can be found HERE

G20 A MISSED OPPORTUNITY

Darren Johnson AM, Green Party spokesperson on trade and industry, reviewing the G20 Statement said Gordon Brown had delivered a “kick in the teeth for British industry and global sustainability.” He said Brown had “managed to pull off a global stimulus that includes less than seven per cent climate-friendly investment.”

He went on, “Britain’s over-reliance on financial services has been a spectacular failure. It’s time we re-built the real economy. There are a raft of emerging technologies waiting for government investment to kick-start the Green industrial revolution that will give us the economy of the future - a balanced economy that includes heavy industry and self-reliance on energy. We have a golden opportunity to beat the recession and the climate crisis in one - and we’re wasting it.”

He concluded, “Every time we see evidence of progress we also see evidence that governments are dragging their feet. They don’t seem to understand that the policies we need for tackling climate change will bring huge social and economic benefits. “We need more Greens in elected office, because we need to push parliaments and assemblies and local councils towards a better understanding and a better set of policies.”

Full Statement