Allotments are set to be facilitated

SLIGO County Council will facilitate allotments in suitable locations around the county. It was confirmed at Monday’s meeting of the Borough District of Sligo that projects around the town and county can be pursued if a community identifies a possible location.

Cllr Arthur Gibbons had raised the issue about providing more allotments as gardening is a pasttime which has enjoyed renewed interest since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and has many positive impacts.

He asked for an update on progress of allotment projects in relation to the County Development Plan.

“If one good thing has come out of the pandemic, it brought us back to some ordinary values. A lot of people became very interested in gardening, but there is a lot of who don’t have a garden of their own. Allotments can be very beneficial for the environment, for mental health, for family involvement and it is something we should be promoting as a council.” The motion was supported by Fine Gael’s Cllr Sinead Maguire, who said there was a demand for an allotment in her local area of Strandhill and proposed that assistance could be provided in identifying land owned by the council.

Acting director of services Emer Concannon said: “Sligo County Council will facilitate allotments in suitable locations around the county.” “There are no projects specifically included in the County Development Plan, but if any community identifies a potential location for an allotment on public land, they are advised to contact the local area engineer to determine suitability.”