Community growing garden

THE GARDEN IS OPEN!

Applications closed on 31 January and all plots have been allocated. Gardening has started as of February 2025.

A new growing garden for Bayonne Estate

In May 2023 the Council's resident-led Investment Group awarded the Twynholm TRA a grant to develop an unused space on Laundry Road as a community growing garden.

This creates a new space for residents who’d like to grow vegetables or flowers – particularly residents who don’t have a garden of their own. This transforms a neglected part of the estate in a way which is beneficial to the environment, community, and health.

👇 Read below for how to apply for a plot, and answers to your questions 👇

Photos for illustration only

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED

The new growing garden opened in Spring 2025. Bayonne Estate residents can still apply for a plot, but they will be put on a waiting list.

HOW TO APPLY

Email twynholmtra@gmail.com
or call 07939 665 834

Please state where you live and whether you currently have a garden or not.

Your questions answered

Application deadline: 31 January 2025
Plots will be allocated by the TRA. Priority will be given to residents who lack a garden.
There are 10 plots. People will also have the option to share a plot.
Plots are free and permanent, as long as they are kept maintained.
The garden is locked and access is only to plot owners. There is a £10 key deposit.

👇 See further below for more questions and answers👇

Features

10 raised planters, each 2.4m x 1.2m
Completely enclosed, with a new fence
Locked gate with access to plot holders only
Hard surfacing between planters for easy access
New water point and 2 x 1,000 liter rainwater tanks
Lockable tool storage
Work table
(TBC) Wildflower area

The low wall in this area has been removed, and the gutters repaired on the pump room to collect rainwater.

Gate poster

The gate poster shows the key rules all plot holders must abide by. (View large version)

Area map

The garden gate will be kept locked with access only to plot holders.

The garden is surrounded by a public footpath, with gates leading to residents' private gardens.

Questions and answers

For more details, see the Twynholm Growing Garden Policy Document.

How many plots will there be?

There will be 10 raised beds, 2.4m x 1.2m x 0.5m. It will be possible to share a plot with another gardener, but this is optional.

Who would be allowed to garden here?

Only residents of Bayonne Estate. This includes Wentworth Court. See the About page for a listing of all the areas included.

Only 1 application per household.

How do I apply for a plot?

Email the TRA on twynholmtra@gmail.com or call 07939 665 834.

How will plots be assigned?

Before the garden is opened, there will be a time period until 31 January 2025 to invite applications, during which applications will go on a waiting list to be considered by the TRA.

Email the TRA to apply for a plot. Priority will be given to residents who lack a garden. If there are more than 10 applications, applicants may be asked to share a plot.

Will it cost money?

No. Plots are free to gardeners – there is no fee to pay. All we ask is that they are kept maintained.

You will be charged a £10 deposit to cover the cost of your key.

How long do I get to keep a plot?

Ownership is permanent as long as the plot is maintained.

What if there are no more plots available?

You will be put on a waiting list. When a plot becomes vacant, we will inform you. (For example, if a plot is not maintained, or if the current plot holder moves away or gives up their plot.)

It will also be possible to share a plot.

Can a plot holder transfer their plot to someone else?

Ownership can be transferred by plot holder to another estate resident if there is no waiting list, but the TRA has to be informed. Ownership cannot be transferred if there are people on the waiting list.

How will you prevent anti-social behaviour?

The allotments area is entirely fenced in, and only plot holders will have keys.

Plot holders will be expected to abide by rules and regulations, which will be posted on the gates. If plot holders break the rules, their plot will be taken away.

What are the rules and regulations?

Refer to the latest drafts of the Growing Garden Policy Document and Gate Poster. The rules include:

No smoking
No barbecues or fires
No alcohol
Do not share your key
Do not dump rubbish: take any litter away with you
No composting: take garden refuse away with you
No music or loud noise
No hose pipes – watering cans only

What happens if a plot holder breaks the rules or does not maintain their plot?

The TRA will give plot holders a warning if they not complied with the rules and regulations, or if they are not maintaining their plot.

If the situation does not improve, the plot will be taken away and offered to the next person on the waiting list.

Can plot holders bring visitors?

Plot holders are allowed to bring in visitors, but they will be also expected to abide by the rules. The plot holder is responsible for visitors' behaviour, and must be present at all times.

What can we plant here?

It is up to plot holders whether they want to grow vegetables, or flowers, or both.

Talk to a gardener for recommendations of crops that are easy to grow and when to plant. TRA members will also be happy to help.

What about accessibility to people with disabilities?

Planting beds are raised to hip-height, making it possible to garden without excessive bending down or kneeling.
The ground area between the beds is paved to make it accessible for wheelchairs or walking aids.
When allocating plots, the TRA will consider mobility needs, to minimise the distance people need to walk.

Will the trees make it too shady for growing plants?

The growing area is south-facing, so would not actually ever be in the shade of the trees.
The trees will not be cut down, but they will continue to be pollarded annually, so that they don't get too large.

Are there too many planting beds, resulting in too many people in the space?

In theory, up to 10 people, with companions, could be in the area at once, which could be disruptive to neighbours.
In practice, people spend at most a couple of hours per week gardening, at different times, so there should rarely be more than 2 or 3 plots in use at the same time. This is borne out by experience at Field Road Estate and Fulham Palace Meadows Allotments.

Where will the water come from?

A water point will be installed in the garden nearest to the TRA hall. (Exact location still to be determined.)

The water will be connected to the TRA hall's water supply.
The tap will be locked and usable by key holders only.
Hose pipes are not permitted – only watering cans allowed.

There are also 2 rainwater butts installed next to the pump room, with a total capacity of 2,000 liters.

Will the water cost the TRA money?

We calculate that the allotments will not add more than £40 per year to the TRA's water bill.

Thames Water measures water in cubic meters.

1 cubic meter equals:

1,000 liters
25 quick showers
177.60p
£1.77

One large watering can = 10 liters.

If there are 10 plots, and each plot holder gives their plot 2 watering cans per day, every day from 1 May to 31 August, that equals:

2 ✖️10 liters ✖️7 days ✖️10 plots ✖️16 weeks
= 22,400 liters
= 22.4 cubic meters
= £39.65 per year

The two rainwater butts hold 1,000 liters each, which is naturally replenished. This may provide a large proportion of the garden's water needs, at no cost to the TRA.

Background to the project

What has the response been from residents?

Results of residents' consultation, 30 January 2024

An information poster and survey were put up throughout Bayonne Estate. A text message was sent to all residents with a link to the survey. Of 420 households, 21 responded to the survey:

18 were in favour of the growing garden
3 were not in favour

Concerns:

It would make the area noisy, with people cluttering and playing music.
The trees in the location will not allow enough light and sun for plants to grow, and trees should not be cut down.
The number of beds (10) are too high, as it could result in up to 10 people with companions gathering in the space at once.

See questions & answers above for answers to these concerns.

How has this worked on other housing estates?

Statement from Field Road Estate TRA

Our growing garden has been a lifeline for our residents. It is situated at the back of the Community Hall and has 7 growing beds that are partitioned to allow for 2 families to share a bed.

Our residents are requested to respect the location as being surrounded by houses and flats and as such we ask that no music is played in this area.

We ask for a £10 deposit for the key to access the area. This is used to replace lost keys should it be required.

Residents are respectful of the area as they put a lot of hard work into their vegetables and fruits, plants and flowers. We decided to lock the area to prevent ASB and theft/damage to residents plots. This has worked well and we have had little to no incidents within the area.

Residents bring their children in to garden and older residents may invite family or freinds to help harvest or sit and have a chat after weeding. It is a lovely social space that requires love and attention but rewards the whole community every season with the fruits of all the hard work that goes in to maintaining the space. we all enjoy the daffodils and tulips in the spring, an abundance of flowers throughout the summer and an array of colour in Autumn from the climbers planted to enclose the area.

Many of the residents that overlook the area have struck up regular conversations with growers and 'keep an eye' on the area. This support is rewarded with tomatoes and potatoes from one of our gardeners who often has an abundance in her harvest.

The area is a calm oasis for those that work hard to keep growing and those living around it that benefit from an additional viewing garden from their windows.

Why was this space chosen?

Extract from the original grant application, April 2023

Please describe the space, its location and how it is currently used

This is a small green space (24m x 14m) flanked by the rear garden fences of Laundry Road and Crefeld Close terraces to the south and west, the TRA community hall to the north, and Laundry Road to the east. It is enclosed by a low fence and 2 gates. It contains a small freestanding boiler room (10m x 5m), and a central asphalt area surrounded by a knee-high brick wall (9m x 6m) that may have been intended for drying laundry when the estate was built. There are some low shrubs along the fence on 2 sides, and 2 large pollarded maple trees.

The space is entirely unused. It is not part of the adjacent community hall, and hall users are not allowed to use the space. The central asphalt area is covered in moss and often used to dump rubbish. Crefeld Close residents walk past it from their rear garden gates to Laundry Road via a paved pathway along the outside of the space.

Are there any problems with the space as it is now?

The space is visibly neglected. There is moss and weeds growing through the central asphalt area, and it is often full of dumped rubbish. Besides uniform green shrubbery along one fence, there is no landscaping whatsoever.

The space cannot currently be used for any purpose – it’s not suitable for playing, or relaxing, or any activities. It is a wasted opportunity, especially as none of the upper-story flats in the adjoining Crefeld Close terrace or Lampeter Square across the road have their own gardens.

What is your idea for improvements to the space?

Taking inspiration from a similar project in a similar sized space next to the Matthews Community Hall on Field Road Estate, we would like to turn this space into community allotments for residents who’d like to grow vegetables or flowers – particularly residents who don’t have a garden of their own.

For more details, see the TRA's presentation, which sets out the benefits this would have for the estate community.

What did the space look like before?

This area has been neglected and unused for decades. (It was an space created for drying laundry in the 1970s before people had tumble dryers.) It was not an attractive area and was often used for fly-tipping.

Example: Field Road Estate

Community allotments on Field Road Estate, Margravine Road, next to Matthews Community Hall / St Albans Church.

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