‘Growing’ calls for Rasen allotments!

Market Rasen is one step closer to getting its own allotments after keen residents piled pressure on the town council.
Demand grows for allotmentsDemand grows for allotments
Demand grows for allotments

Market Rasen Town Council has now had 13 letters from green-fingered residents - and under the Small Holdings and Allotments Act the council has a duty to provide allotments where there is a demand for them.

The council has agreed to look at possible locations and compile a report over the next couple of months.

Speaking at the council’s May meeting, Coun Steve Bunney said: “As we’ve now had 13 people ask, we could be held to account if we haven’t done anything about it.

“We do have to prepare a report on the existing land we own...whether it’s suitable for allotments.

“The playing fields, which are not used all of the time, 100 per cent of the area.

“That’s the sort of land, if it came to appeal, we’d have to show why we’d made a decision - I’m not saying what that decision will be.

“Perhaps the golf club could have a spare bit of land on their edge, if they want to do something for the 
town.”

And Mayor John Matthews added: “Same as the racecourse.”

Coun Bunney said: “People on social media have said we need a ‘compulsory purchase’.

“The land we used doesn’t have to be in the town parish boundaries, but we have to look at our land first.”

Coun Ken Bridger said: “The only bit of land I could find is at the back of Tesco...it can’t be built on - allotments could go there.”

And Coun Margaret Lakin-Whitworth confirmed there used to be allotments on Mill Road playing field ‘before the war’.

Coun Bunney called on town clerk Faye Lambkin-Smith to make sure all letters were from people entitled to request an allotment, for example town residents.

Coun Bunney said an appeal could be lodged against the council for not doing their job, so it was important that they got the right 
information about allotment applicants.