Group looking for solutions to keep vital Peebles allotments

The land is owned by Moorbrook Textiles of Ayr, part of Stockholm firm Lindengruppen, which hopes to sell the former March Street Mills and allotments for redevelopment.

In July, a ruling at Selkirk Sheriff Court saw the site removed from the community right-to-buy register.

Speaking to Peeblesshire News on Tuesday afternoon, the Association secretary, John Falla, said: “We believe the chair of Lindengruppen, (Jenny Lindén Urnes) is a very eco-friendly person.

“The firm has given about a million euros to a university in Sweden to look into how companies can overcome problems and be more efficient.

“Initially, Moorbrook told us it was unviable to develop the former mill first.

“The allotment site is the easy development because they need to sell the luxury houses they would build here to afford tackling the asbestos in the mill building. They offered us an alternative by Tesco.

“It is two thirds the size, contaminated and surrounded by mature trees which shadow the ground – it was impossible for a gardener to consider.

“That was rejected five years ago.”

Last week, visitors to the March Street Mill Allotments Association’s annual open day were greeted by a “wall of discontent” with more than 250 signatures to save the allotments.

Mr Falla added: “We pride ourselves on our timber story.

“We save timber that was due to go to the skip and Bonnie Peebles Plus has saved a total of 4,000 lengths of timber.

“We built 10 raised beds for the Allotment Association and these are now used for elderly people, children and one was raised up for a young girl in a wheelchair who is over the moon with her plot.

“We have just given one to a family of refugees from Ukraine and two children. The mother and granny spend hours at their raised beds within this community.

“It is not just a place where gardeners grow, it is vital to the town of Peebles.”

The allotments were set up during the “Dig For Britain” campaign of the Second World War.

Mr Falla said: “It has got to be that our grandchildren have got somewhere to do their gardening, have fresh air and mental well being.

“We have 52 gardeners feeding maybe 80-90 families and we have between 15 to 20 on the waiting list at £20 per year.

“We keep as that so its not an expensive hobby although there is more expense such as buying the seeds.”

Mr Falla offered a range of solutions and said: “Moorbrook or Lindengruppen should speak to us and come to a price agreement.

“We would try to raise the money.

“They could give it to PCT and we would pay a rent to them on the understanding that it is always allotments.

“Alternatively, we are confident that there could be enough backers, fairly wealthy people, who might say this should belong to the town and they meet the price.

“Even if it became ours next week, we would always need funds for such things as wall repairs and all which goes with gardening and property.

“I’m fairly confident it could be done if there were one or two people who put their heads together and felt this is part of Peebles Heritage.

“We’d love to think that was possible.”

Lindengruppen did not respond to a request for comment when contacted by the Peeblesshire News.