Mossbank allotments group secure funding for site at old Firth Camp

The chance to get green fingered and become self sufficient in Mossbank will soon become possible with the news that funding for the area’s proposed allotments has been successful.

Funding of £53,000 has been granted to the Mossbank Allotments Working Group from the Scottish Government’s Climate Challenge Fund, which aims to help communities tackle carbon emissions.

The allotments, for which planning permission has been submitted, are to be situated at the former Firth Camp. Work should begin on the site late next month, planning dependent. A decision on the lease for the land will be taken at today’s infrastructure meeting.

The project came about following a consultation by the SIC last year, after which around 200 people expressed interest in having public allotments.

Shetland Allotments Association was formed soon after, and working groups were set up to look at the costing and design of the sites. At an infrastructure committee meeting in May a recommendation that the scheme in Mossbank should go ahead was approved.

Sandwick was chosen as another key area for an allotment project, and while that site is yet to be confirmed, plans are progressing well and it is hoped that at least one will be operational by early next year.

Chairwoman of the Mossbank group Teresa Bryant said the group was thrilled to have received the funding. “It’s absolutely fantastic,” she said. “The community here has worked very hard to get the bid in and it’s been a hard slog. Now we know we can go ahead its fantastic.”