Restoration work starts at School Street allotments Darton

SCHOOL Street allotments in Darton are being restored thanks to a £35,000 partnership between Barnsley Council, Groundwork Dearne Valley and NHS Barnsley.

A number of plots on this site have become overgrown with vegetation with many current plot holders suffer from vandalism and theft.

Barnsley Council will be carrying out the majority of the work on site using trainees on the Future Jobs Fund which is helping to get local unemployed people back into work.

Improvements will include vegetation clearance, fence installation and soil cultivation creating 15 new plots.

This is the second of eight priority allotment sites which have been selected by the council for improvements. The project has been financed from the £532,000 generated from the sale of surplus allotment land. This funding can only be spent on improving the existing stock of allotments.

Cllr Roy Miller, Cabinet Spokesperson for Customer and Neighbourhood Services, said:
 “This site has experienced a lot of problems in the past and it will be great to see it improved so that local people to can use it to its full potential

“Existing plot holders on site are looking forward to working with the new tenants potentially creating an allotment society, returning the site back to its former glory and managing its development on a long term basis.”

For more information please contact Paul Evison Allotment Project Officer at Groundwork Dearne Valley 01226 740077

ENDS