Border Telegraph | News | Opposition to use of allotments in Pringle Park

Saturday, 17th May, 2008

Published: Wednesday, 16th April, 2008 09:00

Opposition to use of allotments in Pringle Park

By Susie Penman

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A POSSIBLE revival of allotments in Selkirk has led to debate over use of land in the town—specifically Pringle Park.

Community council vice chairman Lindsay Neil suggested last week that a portion of the park, which is on common good land, be designated for allotments, which have been absent in the town for the several years now.

And while the allotment proposal itself has not met with any dissent, Dr Neil’s suggestion that Pringle Park be used has generated opposition.

Scottish Borders Councillor for Selkirkshire Kenneth Gunn said: “There won’t be any allotments in the Pringle Park, take it from me.”

“I’m not going to let Dr Neil dig it up.”

Regarding use of the park, Mr Gunn said: “All councillors have agreed that it’s underused.

“We have made no secret of the fact that we want the Pringle Park

upgraded, and we have met with officials to look at a major up-grade to what we have at the moment which can only be described as the Pringle Field.

“I think allotments are vastly important, I’m not anti-allotments.

“I think there’s a chance we can get allotments - if there’s a demand for it.”

Mr Gunn said he welcomed a suggestion, made at Monday’s Selkirk community council meeting, that the garden ground at Selkirk high school would be suitable for allotments, given the degree of rural science that has played a role at the school in the past.

Horticulture is a facet of the school that Mr Gunn said was “very

important”, adding, “People used to come from all over the Borders and all over Scotland—their children came to be taught at Selkirk High School because of rural science, because of horticulture.”

Cath Henderson, the Selkirk High School teacher who made the suggestion, made it clear that it was simply an idea she had, and that no such plans are on the go at the high school.

She said: “My idea was to promote both, to allow both to happen and work cooperatively.

“I feel we could help the school and allow Selkirk people to have their Pringle Park.”

“I’m quite for allotments but I totally oppose the use of Pringle Park for them. It’s used for kids, for ball games

“It’d maybe help to make best use of that department’s land when they’re finding it very difficult because of the lack of instructor time,” she said of the high school garden.

And Dr Neil—who has expressed that he is open to allotments being elsewhere in Selkirk--said that the suggestion, which was brought up at the meeting on Monday, was met with “unanimous approval.”

“Everybody was in favour of it,” he said, acknowledging that there was concern expressed about devoting some of the Pringle Park to allotments.

“Some expressed a desire to maintain an open space,” he said, adding that the desire to use the park was hindered by an “emotional attachment” to it what he described as an “underused” park.

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