News

Keen gardeners in Hawkinge will soon have their own allotments in the village thanks to an agreement between two councils and the determination of one woman.

Shepway Council has agreed to offer 2.33 acres of land bordering Stombers Lane to Hawkinge Parish Council on a 30 year lease specifically for use as allotments.

The formal paper work is still to be approved because the land lies within Dover District Council’s borders. But local district councillor, David Godfrey, is confident the allotments will be bearing fruit – and vegetables – by spring next year.

“This is a good example of partnership working between Hawkinge Parish Council and Shepway District Council and is also a tribute to Eileen Blythe, chairman of the Hawkinge Allotments Society, who has worked relentlessly to secure allotments for the village,”

Eileen said there were already 35 paid-up members of the Society.

“We got ourselves organised and formed the society – which is affiliated to the National Association of Leisure and Allotment Holders. We wanted people to see that we were serious about the allotments.”

Eileen has had an allotment in the past and lived on an organic community farm in Hereford for 12 years. She moved to Hawkinge five years ago and was soon pursuing her dream of creating allotments in the village.

She said the first job would be do plough and fertilise the plots over the winter ready for planting and sowing in the spring.

She said membership of the society spanned all different ages. “We have young couples with children as well as retired people. You often find that three generations will work on an allotment and it becomes a family affair. I hope that when Shepway Council sees the progress we make and how successful we are, we be able to take over an adjacent plot and offer even more allotments.”

Cllr Tony Hutt, Vice-Chairman of Hawkinge Parish Council, worked closely with Eileen on trying to secure the allotments.

“This is very good news. It’s been the long term ambition of the parish council to find land suitable for allotments in the village and working in partnership with Shepway District Council, and particularly through our local district councillor, David Godfrey, has enabled us to fulfill this ambition,” said Cllr Hutt.