Official opening celebrates village’s growing concern

The Haynes allotments have proved a huge success since they were opened earlier this year, with 20 of the 22 plots already in use.

To celebrate the growing concern, an official opening ceremony took place at the site off Northwood End Road, with speeches by Central Bedfordshire ward Councillor Angela Barker (Houghton Conquest & Haynes), Haynes Parish Council Chairman Richard James and Chairman of Haynes Allotment and Leisure Gardeners Association Paul Miller. Brigid Healey, who was secretary of the allotment association when it was formed, cut the ribbon.

And the allotments have been shortlisted for the Sustainable Enterprise prize at this year’s Our Living Countryside Awards, run by the Bedfordshire branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England.

The winner will be announced at a ceremony in Moggerhanger on October 7, where Lord-Lieutenant of Bedfordshire Helen Nellis will present the prizes.

The allotments finally came to fruition in April following a long search to find a suitable site that started more than five years ago.