60 new allotment plots are planned
New public allotments could be created near Bannockburn in plans submitted to Stirling Council.
Spectrums Properties 2020 Ltd want to create 60 new plots along with an access road, parking, communal area, fences and shed plots on land between the A872 and M8- next to south of Bannockburn Interchange.
An allotment is an area of land, leased either from a private or local authority landlord, mainly for growing fruit and vegetables but in some cases also for ornamental plants and the keeping of hens, rabbits and bees. They generally measure around 250 square metres roughly the size of a tennis court.
The application site is currently agricultural land but the applicants say there is local demand and a number of benefits in the new project.
In documents submitted with the application, agents said: “The applicant has identified a demand in the local area for such a facility, in the absence of any new allotments being established, and a desire by the general public to grow their own organic foods to counteract the current inflationary costs of food, as well as the mental wellbeing associated with this activity.
“The site is an open field that has been historically used for agriculture - cattle and sheep grazing. Because the field size has been restricted by the formation of the slipway to the A9 and then the dumping of [road] planings, it does get used for grazing from time to time, however it is not entirely suitable due to its size.
“The use of a field for food growing within allotments is generally a more intensive land use than arable farming, however, in terms of land use, food growing in allotments is very closely aligned with agriculture and the difference is not material. The suitability of the ground conditions for food growing will be considered through the submission of a professional report and consultation issued to environmental health.”
The site is said to cover just under five acres and has an access tunnel under the M80 at the southern boundary plus nearby bus stops.
The agents said the benefits of allotments include healthy eating, sustainability, mental wellbeing, good for the environment, recycling, learning and knowledge, biodiversity, and providing a cost effective and secure food supply.
They added: “It is also evident that the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, together with significant levels of inflation, has led to a realisation that food supply and mental wellbeing benefits can be addressed through allotment activities.”
Other allotments in the council area include Bridgehaugh, Bridge of Allan and Dunblane, all of which are council owned and leased to allotment societies.
The criteria for allotment allocation is that the individual must reside in the catchment area.
Figures for 2018/19 showed that there were 42 people registered as allotment holders in the council area with eight people on the waiting list, however the length of time each of the eight had been waiting was between 16 days and 179 days.
Access to the allotments would be via a current site access from the A872, opposite the Roman Road, leading to a general car parking area with facilities for deliveries, cycle parking and electric vehicle charging points.