GARDENERS in Flintshire are celebrating after winning a campaign for new allotments in their village.
Now the people of Leeswood, near Mold, will be able to grow their own fruit and vegetables on farmland a short walk from their homes.
The allotment campaign was started by villager Joseph Caruana and has been supported by rural regeneration agency Cadwyn Clwyd, through its Flintshire Agri-Food Project, which will pay for parking, water and storage facilities at the site.
“I only have a very small garden and I wanted local people to have the opportunity to grow their own food here in the village,” said Mr Caruana.
“Last year I went out with a petition and after three hours was soaked and only had two signatures, but then people quickly became involved.”
That seed of an idea took root as neighbours began to write to Leeswood Community Council in support of the allotment proposal.
A draft scheme was discussed with Flintshire County Council, which proposed a series of changes to increase the acceptability of the project.
With 21 people interested, local farmer Bryn Williams was approached and agreed to lease one and a half acres of his land for the gardens.
Planning permission was subsequently granted for parking and a fence around the site.
“People want to grow their own for the sense of satisfaction and it’s good exercise,” said county councillor Ray Hughes, who lives in the village and took up the cause.
“They also want to know what they are eating.
“We were delighted when Bryn Williams agreed to lease the land. His is the closest farm to the village and it means people can walk there.
“I’m really pleased the county council is encouraging this sort of thing. It seems we’ve come full circle from a time when people concreted over their gardens to now wanting somewhere to grow their own food.”
Cadwyn Clwyd Flintshire Agri-Food Project officer Lowri Williams said: “The whole idea of allotments and growing your own is very much on the agenda these days.
This project is about getting people involved with producing food and doing it locally, learning about which crops will do well and enjoying the process.
“There is a real sense of satisfaction to be had from working an allotment and producing quality food – and, of course, it tastes fantastic.”
Planting will start soon after the land has been fenced and a water source and container to store gardening tools have been installed at the site.
Bryn has also agreed to plough the land to save the gardeners the backbreaking job.
“There’s real satisfaction in growing your own, the taste is quite different,” said Mr Caruana, a lab technician.
“You know 100 per cent what it is you’re eating and we want to do it properly, growing as organically as possible.”
Working on the allotment will be a family affair for Laura Jackson, 27, a countryside warden for the National Trust who has enlisted her mum Anne and dad Rob to help.
“It’s great to know where your food’s actually coming from, rather than just buying it from the nearest supermarket,” said Laura.
“My job involves hard, physical work so I’m not worried about the digging and my mum and dad are going to help too.
“I want to grow potatoes, carrots and parsnips and a whole range of things. I’ve only got a very small garden and can only grow a few things in pots at the moment.”
Growing crops is something farmer Bryn Williams knows plenty about with 20 acres of barley on the farm.
“I was approached and thought this was a really good idea,” he said.
“The land is good. It’s a light loam, quite dry and a reasonably level field.
“It’s been used only for cattle and sheep and hasn’t been ploughed for a long time.
“I won’t miss an acre and a half and it will be nice to see the villagers on it.”
For further information on the Flintshire Agri-Food Project, contact Lowri Williams at Cadwyn Clwyd by e-mail at lowri.williams@cadwynclwyd.co.uk