Sovereign South + West’s recent opening of new allotments in Hungerford on Saturday 7 November was a great event for everyone involved. The Mayor and Allotment Committee were full of praise for all the hard work put in by Sovereign South + West to give the local community this excellent new facility.
The allotment project has been a key initiative for Sovereign South + West over the last 6 months. Back in early 2009 Councillor Peter Harries from Hungerford Town Council asked if Sovereign had any land they could lease from us to use as allotment sites for local residents.
Sovereign then identified a suitable section of land to the rear of the High Street apartments in Hungerford, which was very neglected and overgrown and not covered by grounds maintenance.
Sovereign wanted to involve all local residents and so we held a consultation with the residents of High Street flats and the adjacent site Fairfields. Sovereign residents were very supportive of this move and the majority voted in favour of the land being managed by the council for allotment use. One resident also agreed to be the steward on site and has really been enjoying it.
Lorraine Adams of Sovereign South + West, Elizabeth Caldwell, Mayor of Hungerford, and Councillor Peter Harreis then set up the necessary meetings to come to a formal agreement. A tenancy was then signed with 12 months notice requirement from either party to end the agreement and a peppercorn rental on £1.00 per annum agreed to be paid by the council.
Sovereign then moved things forward by instructing contractors to clear the site. The council then worked out a suitable plot size and 24 plots were identified which the council then allocated to excited local residents.
