The Paddock Riseley

Allotments

Riseley needs more allotments. It currently does not have any disability friendly allotments.

The 11 allotments at The Paddock were offered, as a gift, to Riseley Parish Council who agreed they were a good idea but did not want the responsibility of ownership. Instead, they will be owned by The Paddock Residential Management Company Ltd using a similar Tenancy Agreement to the one Riseley Parish Council use for the allotments on Ross Meadow, including a ban on structures, sheds and trees. Raised beds will be allowed. There will be a piped water supply to the allotments. We will work with Riseley Parish Council regarding the letting of the allotments.

Eleven allotments, eight of which will be 30 metres square, the other three are bigger, will be provided in the open space at the front of the development. The allotments will be available, in the first instance, to residents of the seven bungalows, but the other four and any that are not required by the bungalow residents will be available to people who live in Riseley.

The bungalows on The Paddock will all have their own gardens, but the provision of allotments will enable residents to enjoy a communal space, with the advantage that they can return the allotment when their situation prevents them from continuing to work on it.

The allotments, will provide opportunities for social interaction in a relaxed and pleasant communal space, exchange of gardening tips and ideas and of course excess produce and seedlings. The additional allotments extend these opportunities to the wider population of the village, allowing on going reciprocal learning and interaction between the bungalow gardeners and village gardeners.

Wheelchair friendly pathways both to and within the allotments will be provided, not only for those that continue to garden while becoming less mobile, but also for those who come and enjoy what others are doing in the outdoors. Handrails will be installed to provide support for the less steady on their feet. Seating will allow relaxed social interaction. The provision of raised beds, some with wheelchair access underneath them, will extend the period of time that gardeners can remain active and enjoy their hobby – and of course the fruits of their labour.

Many who have chosen to live in a rural village enjoy gardening. It is beneficial for fresh air and exercise and is an absorbing and satisfying interest. . Gardening is identified as one of the Health Education Council's recommended forms of exercise for the over 50s age-group.

Select Committee on Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs stated:

"Allotments are an important feature in the cultural landscape. They combine utility, meaning and beauty with local distinctiveness. Allotments enable people to grow their own produce regardless of whether they have access to a private garden or not. Allotment fulfil a broader range of needs for both plot-holders and the community at large.” https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199798/cmselect/cmenvtra/560/56006.htm#a1

Having looked at our proposals, The National Allotment Society stated:

“ The National Allotment Society is of the firm belief that any new housing development should include the opportunity for the residents to grow their own food and is especially important for our ageing population who increasingly live alone, are physically inactive and face health problems or disability. The 2016 “Gardening and Health” Report by the Kings Fund quotes many studies that show gardening in older age can help to improve cognitive function and memory, ameliorate loneliness and improve gait and balance. Loneliness can have a significant negative impact on well-being and quality of life and is associated with an increased risk of dementia and early death. Falls cost the Health Service billions of pounds a year and many older people never return to pre-fracture mobility. It is projected that by 2030 22% of the UK population will be over 65. Allotment gardening offers benefits to address many of the challenges of older age, not least the opportunity to eat more vegetables! At the moment only 31% of adults aged 65+ eat 5 or more portions of fruit and vegetables a day”. https://www.nsalg.org.uk/

Having looked at our proposals John Harrison, author of 8 books including The Essential Allotment Guide and who has been described as “Britain’s greatest allotment authority” by the Independent on Sunday stated:

“There's a lot of evidence of the value of allotments in improving social cohesion and mixing. They also benefit mental health as well as physical health. Retired people in particular tend to be interested in gardening so small allotments would be of particular benefit to the development. The provision of waist high beds for those of limited mobility is excellent.” www.allotment-garden.org

The Kings Fund State:

“In well-designed studies, allotment gardening has been found to improve mood, self-esteem

and physiological measures such as cortisol (associated with acute stress) compared with

matched controls.”

https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/sites/default/files/field/field_publication_file/Gardens_and_health.pdf

Age UK has recognised many of these benefits and has its own allotments in Pershore – Their allotments provide space for older people to continue to enjoy gardening, the outdoors “while getting some exercise, socialising and growing delicious fruit and veg.”

“One of the really big benefits is the social side of it,” explains Olivia. “It’s being together and having a chat. We find that when people get older they get slightly more isolated – from their community, from their friends, from their family. [This] gives them the opportunity to come down and be a part of something.” Olivia continues: “In terms of keeping fit and healthy, it’s really great. Being outside can have such a positive effect [on older people] and give them a massive boost in confidence.”

“We call it the green gym,” says Bridget, who has some words of encouragement for those in the local area looking to exercise their green fingers. “It’s a lovely community and there is always a job for everybody.” https://www.ageuk.org.uk/discover/2019/august/the-allure-of-allotments/ :

Vale Community NHS hospital allotments scheme an evaluation. 1st February 2019

An evaluation report was commissioned by the steering group for the allotments at the Vale Community NHS hospital, an innovative scheme, providing community and on prescription allotments. #

“100% of those who completed the evaluation enjoyed growing and eating their own produce and that 55% felt that their diet had improved It was also encouraging that so many allotment holders reported that it was a good place for social participation and that they felt they belonged to a local community group and felt happy and relaxed during their time” there”.http://www.downtoearthstroud.co.uk/vale-community-hospital-allotment-scheme/

Gardens and health

Implications for policy and practice

Kings Fund May 2016

Pressure on green space and a reduction in the number of people with access to gardens are two reasons behind the increasing demand for allotments (McVeigh 2015) and debates over the size of allotments and whether they should be sub-divided to allow more people to grow their own food.

Sales of vegetable seeds are exceeding sales of flower seeds in the United Kingdom (UK) for the first time since the Second World War, accounting for almost 80 per cent of sales of seeds and plants now compared with 30 per cent in the 1990s.

Recent surveys of local authorities and their allotments confirm this excess demand (Priestly 2015). More than 30 per cent of local authorities that responded said they had between 100 and 400 people waiting for plots, while 8.5 per cent had more than 1,000 people waiting. But what is the evidence that allotment gardening is related to health? Wood et al (2015) undertook a UK case-control study of allotment gardening comparing pre- and post-session moods and wellbeing for regular allotment gardeners against a matched control of nongardeners recruited as volunteers from a local supermarket.

Findings suggested that benefits to mood, self-esteem and other indicators of wellbeing improved significantly for the allotment gardeners between pre- and post-session measurement (as measured by the General Health Questionnaire and other validated indicators). Moreover, they were not dependent on how long they had been allotment holders (ie, the improvements were sustained). Their overall wellbeing was also higher than the matched controls. A similar study (Berg et al 2010) was conducted in the Netherlands with allotment gardeners and controls living next door. After adjustment for baseline characteristics (such as income, education, gender, other physical activity and stressful life events), older allotment gardeners (aged 62 and above) reported better outcomes on all levels of health on all measures than the controls, whereas measures did not differ for younger neighbours. The authors conclude that having an allotment garden may promote an active lifestyle and contribute to healthy ageing, but the findings may be limited by self-selection. In a further study, the same lead author (Berg and Custers 2011) showed that allotment gardening was linked to decreases in measured cortisol levels and increases in positive mood, arguing that these findings were the first experimental evidence that gardening can promote relief from acute stress.

https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/sites/default/files/field/field_publication_file/Gardens_and_health.pdf