National Allotments Week: New allotment named after NS&I Premium Bonds computer Ernie
and live on Freeview channel 276
Named after ERNIE (Electronic Random Number Indicator Equipment) – the computer used to select the winning bonds at NS&I – as it overlooks the old Premium Bond site, Ernie’s View is now officially open thanks to a team of hardworking volunteers.
The project at Shepherd Road was revealed by St Annes on the Sea Town Council and Shepherd Road Allotments Society as members came together for a special open day on Saturday.
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Hide AdSt Annes Town Council Mayor Karen Harrison spoke of the benefits of keeping an allotment as she officially opened the new area.
She said: “A garden returns 50 times the investment you put into it.
"Not just food, but joy, peace and a real connection with creation.”
She also thanked the Shepherd Road Allotment Society for their ongoing work on the site.
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Hide AdDuring the open day, the town council mayor also planted a flowering cherry tree to mark the Platinum Jubilee.
The Ernie’s View project has transformed a neglected area of the Shepherd Road Allotment site into a modern communal allotment area for a new generation of tenants.
It provides 10 additional strip plots with shared access to communal facilities, making it the perfect area for new tenants to learn how to manage an allotment plot.
The newly planted fruit tree border will provide additional produce for years to come and another welcome source of nectar for local pollinators.
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Shepherd Road Allotments Society volunteers have worked incredibly hard to get Ernie’s View ready – from the early months of site clearance requiring multiple skips and diggers, to the installation of water tanks, communal shed, composting toilet and polytunnel.
Ernie’s View comes after the Town Council approved the Environmental Project in 2018 with the aim of improving sustainable and resourceful environmental management of its allotment sites.
The total Environmental Project costs currently sit at approximately £13,000, but without the tenants the cost would be much higher.
Funding has been provided by St Annes on the Sea Town Council, Shepherd Road Allotments Society (SRAS) and Fylde Council (through the New Homes Bonus funding scheme).
