Bevendean Community Food Garden

2011-11-16T08:35:00.000-08:00

Tree Planting Day

Sunday 20th Nov @ 10am

The garden has been given free native tree saplings from the Woodland Trust to be planted during the National Tree Week.

We will plant the trees along the fence to make a beautiful wildlife hedge. A trench has been dug already so the event will be suitable for the whole family. Food will be cooked on site during the day. Bring warm clothing.

All welcome!

Autumn Events

2011-10-03T09:31:00.000-07:00

Halloween Party

Sunday 30th 0ctober @ 3pm

Come along with the whole family

· Pumpkin carving

· Pumpkin soup making

· Candle decorating

· Spooky story telling for children around the open fire (child friendly!)

All welcome!

Tree Planting Day

Sunday 20th Nov @ 10am

The garden has been given free native tree saplings from the Woodland Trust to be planted during the National Tree Week.

All welcome!

Family Day

2011-08-29T11:30:00.000-07:00

A huge thank you to everyone who made it a lovely day at the garden today.
Like Ross said; it's times like these that make it all worth it. The garden really is meant to be full of people chatting, working, eating, playing, foraging and enjoying the summer sunshine.
Have a look at the pictures to the right. Or click here to access the slide show as ALL pictures are there, not just today's.

point of view - 14 August 2011

2011-08-15T03:22:00.000-07:00

From the southwest corner, looking north along the fence at the current end of the path.

Looking northeast toward the shed behind the only remaining overgrown area.

Looking east at the bottom of the site.

Family Day

2011-08-08T11:59:00.001-07:00

Come along to a fun packed family day at the garden on
BANK HOLIDAY MONDAY 29TH OF AUGUST @ 1.30pm

The day is hosted by Friends of Bevendean Downs and Bevendean Community Garden

We will:
Do some light work
Go apple picking and apple pressing
Have some food
Enjoy ourselves!

All Welcome

Work update - tools appeal

2011-07-26T00:34:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
Jeanette, Liz and I went to the carboot on Sunday and began collecting tools (see below). It is amazing what one can do with a bit of sand paper and oil. If you or your neighbours have in your shed some old tools in need of TLC, we would happy to come and collect them.
Spread the word.

Help is needed!!

2011-06-29T01:12:00.000-07:00

Hi,
works on the garden have now started in earnest. We are desperate to get as much help as possible to get things done early and properly. A few major things need to be dealt with before planting can start (Fence, Shed, Pond, mostly).
If you are interested in this project, now is the time to step forward and be counted.
Public workdays are Thursdays 9-12 and Sundays 1-4, although at the moment, there is someone on site at all times.
So why not come down and have a look for yourself?
Get in touch (has there been a better time to be outside?).

And here we go at last (again!)

2011-06-19T10:50:00.000-07:00

Thanks to those who turned up today and helped with clearance. A little introduction by Jeanette was swiftly followed by some real action. (photos are on the side or here)
The next public meeting is on Thursday 23rd June from 9.00 to 12.00.
For the foreseeable future, we are aiming at having at least 2 public work days a week: Thursday 9.00 to 12.00 and Sunday 13.00 to 16.00. If you fancy to meet someone on site there should be someone around at these times at least.
If you want to work at any other time, you can add a comment below and someone will get back to you.
Many Thanks.

Meeting

2011-06-17T05:17:00.000-07:00

Dear All,
Work can begin on site now!
We would like as many as possible to come along for a site meeting on Sunday at 3pm.
We will discuss the following:

• Erecting the fence around the site
• Digging for water installation
• Clearing site of vegetation
• Rubbish clearance
• Clearing site where the shed is going
• Digging pond
• Other ideas...

These are our summer tasks and although there is very little food growing on this list I am sure we’ll have a good time!
....and perhaps we’ll get some winter crops growing soon.

Hope to see you on Sunday,
Jeanette

Meeting on site - Friday 22 April, 11.00am

2011-04-16T04:09:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

We are still positive about the planning application coming through by the 27th. It might be nice for all to meet on site somethimes next week. I have penciled Friday for now. We can start discussing and organising what comes nex; fencing, planting, setting up camp, etc.

Meeting by the scouts' hut at 11.00am.

See you all then.

Ready, steady, grow...

2011-04-02T13:20:00.002-07:00

Seed exchange, pot making and some planting took place this afternoon at the Lecca cafe. Thanks to everyone who could make it. Lecca cafe provided a warm welcome and wonderful cakes which were appreciated by all.

The serious planting is but a month away.

Next, we have to organise the fencing which must be ready to happen as soon as we have the go ahead from the planners (hopefully by the 27th of April). The idea is to get one of the local contractors (contact has been made) to provide material and direction, and for everyone to join in for the installation. If all goes well, this could happen during the bank holiday weekend of the royal wedding at the end of the month. Make sure to be ready; help will be needed.

We will keep posting as we near the date but feel free to let us know if you are interested in helping on the day, by posting a response on this blog or by emailing us.

2011-03-30T02:17:00.000-07:00

SEED PLANTING MEETING

Please come along to chat about the garden and to plant some seeds for you to look after until we have the garden (hopefully in the beginning of May).

@ Lecca Cafe

8 Leybourne Parade
Lower Bevendean
Brighton BN2 4LW

Saturday 2 April
2pm

Tea, coffee, and cakes on the house!

All Welcome,
Jeanette

Planning Application

2011-03-09T04:32:00.000-08:00

Dear all,

The planning application for change of land use was 'made valid' on the 2 March. This means that a decision should be taken before or on the 27 April. It has taken long to complete because of its rigour.

The lease with the council is ready to sign and we are meeting soon in order to do this.

The council has also taken down some trees on site to give us more light and to clear around an old hard standing of concrete where our shed will go. These trees were Sycamore trees of no particular ecological value. The Friends of Bevendean Downs were consulted and are happy with the trees coming down. Nearby residents were also informed but the decision was taken by the council as the trees had no conservation order. The local ranger Gary had already planned to take these trees down before our request as part of clearing the location. The process was made easier as a result. Lots of thanks to Gary! The wood from the trees can be used to make raised beds, seats or used to burn if we make a clay oven in the future.

We should all be positive now as the application has already been validated. This means that it has been carefully looked at by a planning officer prior to submission. Applications do not go through unless they are proper and follows all relevant legislation and planning laws. Lots of thanks to Mmedo for his expertise in planning; it wouldn't have been possible without you.

We would like to hold a meeting in Lecca cafe sometime in March so watch this space for info.

Also, would anyone like to help handing out some leaflets in Bevendean? We have 500 nice ones that promotes the garden. If so, please email bcg@generalimprovement.co.uk

All the best,
Jeanette

little update

2011-02-06T11:05:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,
Today Seedy Sunday donated some seeds to us. It was a very positive day being able to ponder on what to grow rather than what to write. There's been too many applications to fill in lately.
It's getting there though. More funding has been awarded and we are working round the clock to submit the planning application.
As we cannot expect to be digging until April, when the season will be in full swing, we have started to think about growing practicalities. We have decided to get Bevendean primary school involved. One of us will go in to plant some seeds with the children. They can then look after the plants as they grow and come and plant them later in the spring. This way they are involved early on and the garden will have some plants growing in the summer.
If you want, you can do the same at home!

planning application

2010-11-02T03:50:00.000-07:00

Dear Gardeners,
We have had meetings with the council.
Hence, we are now entering the last phase before signing the lease. This might take some time so please be patient. At the moment we are in the process of submitting a planning application. This has to take the time it takes unfortunatelly but we can still do other things like fundraising or come up with ideas so please let us know of any that you have. We have one volunteer on the case with a notice in the school newsletter but maybe someone else could advertise for volunteers elsewhere?
Happy Autumn to you all.

A site in sight

2010-10-14T05:04:00.000-07:00

Dear all,
Many thanks to the ones who came to last night's meeting.
We are very happy to say that we now have a site. The site is the old horticultural site just above the Scout Hut and is really beautiful. We had hoped that we could convince neighbours to agree to the Scout Hut site but as no agreement was possible we are now ready to face the challenges that come with the site we have. Neighbours are now happy and we know that this means a lot for everyone and will help to pave the way for a bright future.

Public Consultation Meeting

2010-10-11T06:44:00.001-07:00

The next consultation meeting is on this Wednesday. Please come along to press for a decision to be taken regarding a site. We want a site ready for the spring.

Public Consultation Meeting
Wednesday 13 October
Holy Nativity Church Hall
Norwich Drive
6.30pm

report on site consultation 20 Sep

2010-09-17T05:32:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all who came along to the Fun Day in June.
The questionnaire you filled in has now been evaluated and we have the most popular sites. They are: the Scout Hut, Bodiam Avenue and Knepp Close.
It is now up to the council to carry out further consultation and also to consult their ecologist regarding all possible sites.
If you are interested in more information on this process, want to get involved or have questions please come along to the next ABC meeting in Bevendean on Sep 20, the Church Hall at 6.30pm. Please note that only a small part of this meeting is dedicated to Bevendean Community Food Garden.

Bevendean Family Fun Day

2010-07-08T12:39:00.000-07:00

Please come along to a family fun day on Saturday the 17th of July!
We will be there to present the alternative sites for the garden that have now been identified by council officers (and by the help of Friends of Bevendean Downs). We would like your opinion and for all the pros and cons to be discussed.

There will also be many other things for the family to join into.

Bevendean school field 11-4pm

All Welcome!!

June 2010

2010-06-28T12:26:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

It's been a while since the last update. After the last public meeting in Bevendean a survey was circulated by the council to investigate peoples view of the project and the proposed site. The findings of the survey are positive as it suggests a number of mitigation measures that could be accepted by neighbours. Here are the links to the report:

You can see the report on page 19 at:

http://present.brighton-hove.gov.uk/Published/C00000150/M00002839/$$ADocPackPublic.pdf

And these are the minutes:

http://present.brighton-hove.gov.uk/Published/C00000150/M00002839/$$$Minutes.doc.pdf

See page 4 for discussion around the Bevendean proposal

Unfortunately, at the last decision making stage councillor Maria Caulfield still felt that there was too much resistance to the project. The current status is that the site behind the Scout hut is on hold while officers try to identify alternative sites in Bevendean. As a group, we are now waiting to hear back from the council regarding these alternatives. In the meanwhile, Maria Caulfield has agreed to meet the group to hear more about the proposal.

Can we take this opportunity to invite all interested to attend the Bevendean Fun Day on the 17th of July where we will have a stall with further information about how you can get involved!

Public meeting on Thursday the 22nd of April at 7.00pm

2010-04-19T14:22:00.000-07:00

Bevendean Community Garden will take part to a public consultation meeting organised by Brighton & Hive City Council and chaired by Robert Brown.
You are all encouraged to come and voice your support or raise your concerns.

The meeting will take place on the 22nd of April at the Church Hall on Norwich Drive at 7.00pm.

All welcome. Help will always be appreciated.

We need your Support Now!

2010-04-02T12:33:00.000-07:00

Bevendean Community Garden is proposing to bring the residents together to grow fruits and vegetables locally using organic methods. This is the chance for the local community to take another step towards more sustainable living. The produce of the Garden will be shared among the volunteers who take part to the project. One of the aims of the Garden is also to bring the Bevendean community, old and young, together.

Situated at the heart of Bevendean, between the surgery, the school and the community Church, the proposed site is easily accessible to all its residents and sits beautifully at the feet of the South Downs. The project will provide a wonderful opportunity for everyone to engage in healthy activities and to experience their natural environment in new rewarding ways.

Everyone is encouraged to join; no prior experience necessary. This is the perfect chance to learn about growing your own food.

If you want an alternative to supermarket food and are interested in a low carbon future, show your support for the Bevendean Community Garden. Some funding for the project has already been secured and the last hurdle is to secure this site.

We need you to make this happen. Please leave your comments and show your support by clicking here.

You are also invited to express your support at the next consultation meeting which will take place on Thursday the 22nd of April at 7.00pm at the Church Hall on Norwich Drive.

Forward and Onward

2010-03-28T12:21:00.000-07:00

The first public consultation meeting took place this afternoon. A big thank you to all of those who attended. It was a first encounter for many and perhaps the discussions that took place were a little intimidating for some. Nonetheless, it was great to see you all and hear your views about the project.
The people who expressed themselves more voicefully were those whose houses lay directly adjacent to the site and the concerns were taken up very competently by Brighton and Hove City Council. It has to be pointed out that many of those expressing concerns also had a lot of good things to say about the project itself. The site visit that followed illustrated that many will be supportive provided that their concerns are addressed and possible mitigation measures were already being discussed.
Overall, a good thing done. A few frictions, lots of energy, a positive day for Bevendean.
To all of you today who had questions that remain unanswered, please feel free to post a comment by clicking on the link below. We will do our best to answer them all.

Response to comments

2010-03-25T00:52:00.000-07:00

We are very excited at having received comments about the project, both via this blog and by people approaching us in other ways. Whilst most of the feedback we have received so far has been extremely positive and encouraging, we have also been approached by some members of the community expressing some reasonable concerns. We would like to take this opportunity to reassure the residents of the houses adjacent to the garden that their opinions are extremely valuable to us and have welcomed their involvement so far.The public consultation meeting on Sunday will be the opportunity for those who have not come forward yet to come and exchange views on what should (and should not) happen to the garden.
It is clear that the word has spread around the community that food will be grown on site. We are very happy about this as it bodes well for future community involvement. For this project to succeed, everyone's participation will be paramount.
You may contact us either by posting a comment responding to one of the posts on this blog or by emailing us at bcg@generalimprovement.co.uk.
We look forward to meeting you all on Sunday the 28th of March at the Church Hall on Norwich Drive from 2 to 3.30pm and have no doubt that by then, you will be as excited as we are about the prospects the garden offers the community.

Well, it's cleared...

2010-03-21T14:06:00.000-07:00

In excess of 20 people attended the clearance day at the garden and clear it they did! Bevendean residents were joined by a very efficient and well equipped group of volunteers from Mouchel.

Once the ecological survey got out of the way (thanks to a long winter, no birds where found nesting in the brambles) the strimmers got started, a pyre was lit and the long awaited project truly got under way. Everybody worked really hard and a great deal was accomplished today. The brambles have been eliminated (but for the small detail of digging out the roots) and an enormous amount of rubbish was piled to the side so as to facilitate its removal.

Everybody seemed genuinely excited about the prospects that the garden offers the area; none more so than Harry whose house is directly adjacent. Garry Meyer and Will, B&HCC Rangers, popped by and gave us some posts for future fencing as well as words of encouragement about our general demeanor. Councilor David Smart, made a guest appearance and also seemed pleased with our little Enterprise. Even Andrea, from the nearby Lecca Cafe, came to inspect the progress made.

Whilst everyone earned a real pat on the back for their hard work, special mention has to be given to those who took of their time and travelled some significant distances to see this project get off the ground. Catrin, Claire and Mia came down from London as did Tom whose bramble removal skills are only matched by his ecological expertise. A big thank to Steve, who talks loud but works hard (and organised the strimmers - I don't want to think about where we would be had we used secateurs), as well as Peter and Paul from Mouchel (the company also made a donation to the project).

Overall a great day, blessed by a glorious weather. Next step is to dig out the roots left on site and then the real fun will begin.
Don't forget to come and join us at the public consultation event on Sunday the 28th of March (see below for details).

Ideas are in the air

2010-03-20T02:06:00.000-07:00

Post edited on 01.04.2010
Please note that the picture originally inserted in the post below has now been removed as it was deemed confusing. It appears that some have interpreted it as a final design. It also appears that this picture did not make it obvious that Bevendean Community Garden's main objective is to grow vegetables and fruits. Whilst it saddens us to have to remove such image, it seems to be the only option in the current stage of development the garden is going through.
Please contact us directly should you wish to be sent a copy of the original image.

Clearing commences tomorrow and our head gardener has kept herself busy.
Here is a view of what the garden could look like (after a bit of work).

image removed

Remember that you can come and experiment with the layout during our public consultation meeting Sunday the 28th.

Here we are

2010-03-12T13:51:00.000-08:00

The Site is there; the people are there; the spring is on its way.
Bevendean Community Garden is around the corner.
Local Food is but a season away.

Clearing starts on the 21st of March.

Community meeting takes place on the 28th of March at the Church Hall on Norwich Drive.

Find out about what is happening. Come and discuss your ideas for the Permaculture Garden. Discover what is being planned in the next few weeks.

All welcome. Help will always be appreciated.

Current status: Bramble monstrosity

2010-03-12T12:20:00.000-08:00