Findings of Consultation for change of use

From October 4th to October 18th Thropton Village School First School consulted with Parents/Carers; Staff: Governors; Children & Users of the Allotment on their views on a change of land use for land adjacent to school car park presently used as Community Allotment.

For a number of years a very small number of people have been using this land – with the permission of our school – for their allotments.  Thropton Village First School proposed that this area of land changes from being a Community Allotment to an area that is used for the school to plant a number of trees.  This new project will be linked to the Green Trees Award.  The idea had been developed through our school’s pupil voice and would be a part of our school’s efforts to educate children on ways to take action to help our environment – which is itself linked to the Three Rivers learning Trust’s Climate Change Plan.

The school felt that the area’s present use needed to be changed due to:

• there are very few users of the area in its current form;

• the school feels that for the area to maintain its present allotment usage will require annual additional costs both in terms of maintenance and management – costs which the school is unable to justify in educational terms;

• the school has had to spend time managing the area and its small number of users.  This activity has taken the school away from its core purpose of education.

The school received seventeen responses.  These responses were from staff; academy councillors; parents; residents and users of the allotment.  During the consultation the school were made aware of another user of the allotment and this person was offered a chance to respond.  We delayed reporting the findings of the consultation to allow for this.

Of the seventeen responses; twelve were in favour of the proposal.

These responses said that the space could be used in a way that was beneficial to the children than its current use of a very small number of adults.  It was felt that involving children in the planning and designing of the space would help educate children about the environment.  Other responses felt the space was currently underused.

Many of these responses spoke about the benefits of planting trees and how a change of use would provide a better space for school children to use with some suggesting possible designs for the area.

One response was in favour of the response and also raised the question whether the school would be keeping the poly tunnel.

One response raised concerns about the upkeep of the area if its use was changed.

One response said that the current use for the land had great potential but its potential had been hindered by a lack of funding for the area and poor leadership of the area.

One response chose not to comment on the proposed change of land use but thanked the school for allowing people to use the space as a community allotment.

The school will go ahead with the proposed change of land use.

Current users of the allotment area will be written to by the school with information on when they are to vacate their plots.

The school will now work with children, staff and academy councillors in planning for the proposed change of land use.  The changes will be implemented in 2022.

Thank you to everyone who took part in our consultation.  The school would like to thank the people who have been using the community allotment over the past few years.  We recognise that the aims of the allotment –  when it was initially set up were worthy –  but, as acknowledged in responses from the consultation and in our initial letter, the area’s current use has taken time away from our school’s core educational purpose.

Yours sincerely,

Liam Murtagh – Executive Headteacher