Threats old and new... 

Then
The Felixstowe and District Allotment Association started over twenty one years ago now, and was born out of local concern that the allotments were to be sold for development. This was not in fact in anyone's mind at that time. 

Now
There is now, & since March 2008, great concern over the new 'Local Development Framework' proposals for the development of Felixstowe into the area near the Cowpasture site if not on it.  It is a Statutory Site, which protects it under law, but such is the pressure on housing, that the Association is under no illusions that it is likely to have a fight on its hands. The Association has been represented at all the main meetings about it and will continue to represent all plotholders' interest, not just members' interest. 

The whole process has gone quiet as far as public activity ius concerned.  There has been a huge response to the porposals, far more than for many LDF consultations, we understand.  We await the next stages.  There are several where we can still have an impact, but we have to wait for due process - like waiting for seeds to germinate and gow before harvest!! 

Growth of the Association
Since those early days the association has grown and waned and re-grown, so it is now very healthy indeed with 150 members. Meetings are held more or less monthly in the winter months at Old felixstowe Community Centre, up to the April meeting in 2009  and then there is a summer programme of outdoor events, a show and Scarecrow competition, biggest poumpkin &c. These have been moved since the 2009 Annual Meeting to Sundays.
Plotholders who are not members are welcome at them. We are now having to use the bigger hall to accommodate the number of people coming to meetings.

Members are of all ages and include young people and families and Mums with young children.

The Partnership
There is a very good relationship with the Town Council, with regular meetings to air concerns. The Council is taking security more seriously now that there has been a number of thefts from sheds, and a gate has been installed to prevent motor access by non-members on Cowpasture site, with more gates and work at Ferry Road, and after representation by the Association, work is going ahead at Railway Hill, where there is a lot of new tenants making big efforts to get their plots productive.

The picture is of the happy time and BBQ wwith Scarecrow competition. 2010