Have your say on the final designs for the community garden at Alconbury Weald

A consultation has been launched today (24 May) for residents’ views on the designs of the community garden and allotments coming forward next year. The designs have been shaped through earlier discussions with residents and developed with Urban&Civic’s environmental charity partner Groundwork East. 

The new area has been designed around traditional allotments, but also with space for community gardening and growing projects, and ways to engage people in growing their own and local heritage species. The designs include a roofed pergola for community meetings and workshops, a children’s gardening zone, storytelling area, a “berry alley” with trellises, raised communal beds and accessible plots, alongside traditional plots for individual growing. The designs also include a shared compost heap and space for shared storage, and leave an area that will be laid to grass for future expansion, so the area can keep evolving and growing as new residents move in.

Natalie Leigh Brown, Community Development at Alconbury Weald said: “With the first allotments at Swynford Road flourishing and with a waiting list, we are so pleased to be able to bring these next allotments forward, but also respond to asks from the community for shared space for growing and engaging with nature. 

“We all know gardening has a wide range of physical and mental health benefits. The joy of coming together to learn about growing, and share expertise and produce, will be a key theme for this new space. It has been great to work with Groundwork East to pull together the suggestions from the community, and we hope sharing these final designs will ensure we have picked up all the feedback and have a great scheme to take forward into planning and delivery.”

The consultation will be in the library area on the ground floor of The Club from Wednesday 24 May to 7 June 2023, open Monday to Friday 9-5, there will also be an feedback form available online during this time: 

https://consultation.alconbury-weald.co.uk/

You can also chat to the project team about the proposals from 5-7pm in The Club on 7 June 2023.

After the feedback from the consultation has been reviewed, the plans will be submitted to Huntingdonshire District Council, with the plan for Groundwork East to deliver them in Spring 2024. For more information about Groundwork East please visit their website: 

https://www.groundwork.org.uk/hubs/east/