Crowborough Community Growing Space: Survey Closes 13 November

Crowborough Town Council wants to know whether the town should have a shared community growing space, and residents have until Friday 13 November to say. The space could be a community allotment plot at one of the council’s existing sites, planters in the town centre, or both.

The council describes the idea as a shared facility for people who like the idea of growing things but do not have the space or time for a whole allotment plot. It says it wants community input before the project moves forward. (Crowborough Town Council, council news and notices)

What the council is asking

The council’s survey asks people to choose between:

• a full community allotment plot: a traditional plot for larger crops and seasonal growing, for use by up to 10 to 15 families. The survey says people would need their own transport to reach it.
• centrally located growing spaces: smaller planters in a visible spot in town, for herbs, small fruit and vegetables or flowers, with easy access and near bus routes.
• both: a full plot and town planters, to include more residents.

It also asks where a growing space should go, how often your household would use it, and what drawbacks or benefits you can see.

It would need volunteers

The survey is plain that a community growing space or allotment “would be reliant on volunteers”. It asks whether you would volunteer, with “maybe in the future” as an option.

Answers are anonymous. You can leave contact details if you want to hear first if the project goes ahead. The council says those details will only be shared with the project team.

Why it matters: the allotment waiting lists

The council runs three allotment sites, and the waits vary widely. Its allotments page gives these figures:

A standard plot costs £41 a year for April 2026 to March 2027. Owlsbury Farm also has half plots at £21 and extra-large plots at £165. New tenants pay a £50 refundable deposit, and you must live in the parish of Crowborough to be eligible.

So a full plot is not out of reach for most people: Owlsbury Farm’s wait is about a month. The case for a shared space is more about time, confidence and getting there. A town centre planter near a bus stop asks much less of a beginner than a plot on the edge of town.

What it means for you

• To have your say: complete the survey before Friday 13 November. It has seven questions.
• If you want your own plot now: call the council on 01892 652907. Owlsbury Farm has the shortest wait.
• If you are curious about the history: the council’s current heritage cabinet displays are about Crowborough’s allotments, including “lost” sites, at the Community Centre and the Pine Grove offices.

The council has not said when it will decide, or what a growing space might cost.