Plans unveiled to 'upgrade and enhance' Hartlepool community allotment

Proposals have been submitted to Hartlepool Borough Council to add a number of outdoor buildings to the Waverley Terrace Allotment Project.

Originally developed by the council’s adult services team with support from local partners, the project was set up in 2007 by the Waverley Allotment Group.

The site offers a venue for therapeutic and employment support to adults, especially those with additional needs such as around mental health and disabilities.

The plans would see four storage containers, three summer houses, two sheds and a greenhouse added.

A statement of community involvement submitted on behalf of the council, which is also the applicant, said the move would allow the authority to provide further community benefits.

It reads: “The site has recently been granted an amount of capital investment to make improvements in its infrastructure and extend its use to the wider community.

“The Waverley Project Management Team would like to increase the amount of community impact the site has by promoting areas for different uses that fall within the allocated use of the land.

“The separate areas would look to; address isolation, barriers to charitable food growth, obesity, education, confidence, skills, physical exercise barriers, mental health issues.”

Proposals also involve improvements including the installation of footpaths, fences, gates and a natural drainage area.

The allotment is used for the cultivation of fruit and vegetables and creation of a range of seasonal items, with produce sold to the local community and any profit being used to assist in the project’s funding.

A decision is expected to be made on the proposals next month.