️Our Ellon Community Allotments site continued to develop at pace during the autumn and early winter. Two major funders came on board to join many organisations who have funded the development over the last 2 years. Aberdeenshire Council’s Place Based Investment Programme and the United Kingdom Shared Prosperity Fund have committed significant sums which will allow the site progress.
For those who continue to see the growth from the A 948 you will have noticed the appearance of sheds on plots just before the snow arrived The remaining sheds will be installed as soon as the weather improves. In advance of the delivery every member installed their own Ecobase which provides a firm, strong, durable, and well-drained foundation. The sheds present a significant benefit for our members, providing them with a space to call their own and somewhere to shelter from adverse weather, or simply sit back and admire their plot. The sheds are supplemented by a newly installed secure storage container for tool and equipment storage.
Our Members usually welcome rainfall but the heavy rainfall during November and December caused some issues we identified some areas that will benefit from improved drainage. We are actively working on a solution to stop the formation of ponds, outside of our actual pond.
One of the most exciting developments was the start of installation of our 2 Polycrubs but this was interrupted by adverse weather and so installation will continue in January. A Polycrub is a super strength polycarbonate polytunnel designed in Shetland and built to withstand high wind speeds and the harshest of climates, and will give members warmer space to start seedlings in and grow plants that otherwise wouldn’t be able to thrive in our local climate.