Gorton Community Allotment

Residents celebrate opening of new community allotment

On 24 March residents at Gorton Estate, Manchester, celebrated the opening of a new allotment on the Gorton Estate.

Many interested residents came along and started to plant up their plots. It was a fantastic day with  a lot of support from Phil Birtles, the Affinity Sutton ground maintenance contractor and Debdale Eco Centre who provided advice to those residents new to growing vegetables.

Affinity Sutton neighbourhood investment department has invested over £14,000 to create an inner city Allotment on the Manchester, Gorton Estate. The neighbourhood investment team had identified this waste land as it had become a target for fly tipping. Determined the area had potential, they decided to get residents involved in creating a community allotment.

Over the last ten months, much work has been done to excavate the area and clear it. Later on putting in flagged pathways, a disabled entrance and bricking up walls to make the allotment more secure.

Debdale Eco Centre are now working closely with the residents providing them with training and further support around vegetable planting. The allotment group intend to become a constituted group so that can apply for further funding to upgrade the allotment site and make it more sustainable.

To find out more contact Kevin McCloskey, Neighbourhood Investment Officer on 0300 100 0303.