The allotment gardens at Millfield, Faversham, have a long and varied history dating back to the mid 1900s, originally occupying a larger area to the North of Whitstable Road. The form that Millfield Allotments takes in the present day is a result of several planning and housing decisions made since the Second World War, with the current site being established in 1946. The History of Millfield Allotments: The allotment gardens at Millfield, Faversham, have a long and varied history dating back to the mid 1900s, originally occupying a larger area to the North of Whitstable Road. The form that Millfield Allotments takes in the present day is a result of several planning and housing decisions made since the Second World War, with the current site being established in 1946. ━━━━ October 1944 ━━━━ The Housing (Temporary Accommodation) Act was passed authorising the Government to spend up to £150,000,000 on the provision of temporary houses. This was known as the Temporary Housing Programme. The then Faversham Borough Council were offered, and accepted, fifty temporary houses as part of the programme. ━━━━ February 1945 ━━━━ Proposals for the siting of the temporary housing include the erection of twenty houses in Lower Road, with the remaining thirty being sited at Millfield. ━━━━ March 1945 ━━━━ At the beginning of March 1945 the proposals changed following a meeting of the Housing Committee, where the Town Clerk suggested that an application be made to the Minister of Health to site all fifty houses at Millfield on twenty-nine acres, two roods and thirty-nine perches of largely arable land currently owned by The Right Honourable Earl Sondes. This was due to issues with the electrical supply in Lower Road, and the lower capital expenditure involved in building on a single site. A site plan was submitted by the Borough Surveyor, Mr A. C. E. Richardson, which proposed the use of some land currently occupied by allotment gardens at Millfield. It was appreciated that by this time allottees had started to work their plots by purchasing seeds and manure, and digging the earth, and that earlier notice of the change in proposals may have mitigated some of this expenditure by allotment holders. The Faversham Borough Council adopted the Housing Committee’s recommendations to erect all of the houses at Millfield, and a Compulsory Purchase Order application was submitted. The Ministry of Health suggested a revision of the proposed layout so as to avoid using the part of the site that was currently in use as allotment gardens. ━━━━ 22nd March 1945 ━━━━ The Compulsory Purchase Order, known as the Faversham (Millfield) Compulsory Purchase Order 1944, was confirmed, and was published in the Faversham News and East Kent Journal the following day. Confirmation was also received from the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries of a second Compulsory Purchase Order, known as the Faversham (Millfield Allotments) Compulsory Purchase Order 1944, for the purchase of an additional five acres of land at Millfield for the provision of alternative allotments. These five acres make up the present-day Millfield Allotments site. ━━━━ 8th June 1945 ━━━━ The Town Clerk had received notice on behalf of Earl Sondes for compensation for the acquisition of the land for use as housing at Millfield to the sum of £4,462. An additional notice for compensation was also made in regard of the land proposed to be used for allotment gardening, to the value of £778. ━━━━ July 1945 ━━━━ In July 1945 works began to prepare the Millfield site for the completion of groundworks, and the construction officially begun. ━━━ 9th November 1945 ━━━ The Borough Surveyor had received several claims for compensation from allottees whose allotments had been replaced with roads and sewer works. It was decided that these claims would be heard at a future meeting as it was likely further claims would arise throughout the works. A submission was also made showing where the new land on the Millfield site would be acquired for the purposes of the allotment siting, and to which any displaced allottees would be transferred if they so desired. ━━━ 18th December 1945 ━━━ By the 18th December 1945, sewer-laying and construction of roads had been ongoing for twenty-two weeks, and progress was good. The sewer works were practically complete, and 3,120 feet of kerbing and carriageway shaping had been accomplished. ━━━━ January 1946 ━━━━ After months of failed negotiations between the District Valuer and agents acting on behalf of the Earl Sondes as to the value to be paid by Faversham Borough Council for the Millfield housing and allotment site, the Council made an unconditional offer of £2,600, comprising £2,350 for the thirty-four acres, three roods and twenty-nine perches proposed for housing, and £250 for the five acres, nought roods and thirty perches for allotment gardening. The offer was not accepted by Earl Sondes, and so the matter was heard by arbitrators on the 6th February 1946. ━━━━ 20th June 1946 ━━━━ Allotment gardens on the Millfield estate are formally acquired and designated as allotments gardens under the Small Holdings and Allotments Acts 1908 to 1931, and the Allotments Acts 1922 and 1925. This has been the home of Millfield Allotments ever since. ━━━━ July 1946 ━━━━ Work on the housing at Millfield began in July 1946. Owing to labour shortages, German prisoners of war were employed as labour to assist with the construction. Thirty prisoners were employed on the site. ━━━━ August 1962 ━━━━ Faversham Town Council Housing Committee conduct a vote to determine whether to replace the Millfield temporary houses with bungalows or houses, voting in favour of permanent houses. ━━━━ 1st April 1974 ━━━━ Following local government reorganisation in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, Faversham Borough Council became Faversham Town Council. The newly formed Swale Borough Council took control of allotment gardens at Millfield as well as a number of other properties and services. Without their own self-management association, the allotment gardens at Millfield are managed by the Stonebridge Allotments Society. ━━━━ 15th August 2001 ━━━━ Following years of neglect and a recent spate of vandalism on the site resulting in a number of sheds being burned to the ground, a small group of plot holders began to come up with ways to turn the site around. Inspiration came from Ospringe Allotments' Manager Alan Gidlow, who had completely turned the allotment site on Water Lane around. ━━━━ October 2000 ━━━━ By October 2000, the more than sixty-two plots at the allotments at Millfield had become neglected and overgrown, with little cultivation occurring on the plots. A meeting was arranged for the 15th August 2001 at The Market Inn, Faversham, with the intention of separating from Stonebridge Allotments Society to self-manage the site. Millfield Allotments Association was formed, with elected Association representatives being Sandra Todd (Chairperson), Matt Care (Secretary), and Carol Bullen (Treasurer). Both Swale Borough Council and Stonebridge Allotments Society were informed of the Association's intention, and agreed to the self-management scheme. The Millfield Allotments Association established a three phase plan of action to rejuvenate the site. ━━━ Autumn / Winter 2001 ━━━ A work party of volunteers met every fortnight and worked hard to clear the site of debris and weeds, prune overgrown trees, form parking areas, tidy existing plots and create new ones, and incorporate wildlife areas and a picnic area. ━━━━ 21st April 2002 ━━━━ Millfield Allotments Association hold their first Annual Open Day and Scarecrow Competition, giving members of the local community the opportunity to look around the site, raising awareness of the achievements made, and developing new interest in plots. The Scarecrow Competition sees entrants into three categories, including Little Kids, Big Kids and Adults. The competition was judged by Councillor Joan Tovey. ━━━ 5th November 2002 ━━━ Millfield Allotments Association hold their first Annual Bonfire Night, with many plot holders and their families attending. ━━━ 19th November 2002 ━━━ Millfield Allotments Association hold their first Annual General Meeting ━━━━ 28th May 2004 ━━━━ Millfield Allotments Association formally undertake the management of the allotment site in an agreement with Swale Borough Council. And the rest is history!

A collection of images showcasing the Millfield Allotments site, including events, plots, flowers, fruits and vegetables, and wildlife. Image Gallery: Events Flowers Plots Produce Wildlife

The Allotment Association has a small collection of petrol powered tools available for plot holders to use. For a £10 donation per plot, plot holders can use the tools to help maintain their allotment for the whole year. Donations help with the maintenance of the tools and purchasing of fuel. Use of Association Tools The Allotment Association has a small collection of petrol powered tools available for plot holders to use on site. For a £10 donation per plot, plot holders can use the tools to help maintain their allotment and the surrounding paths for the whole year. Donations help with the maintenance of the tools and purchasing of fuel. Tools include a: - Strimmer - Lawn mower - Tiller - Rotivator It is important that the tools are returned in good, clean condition. To arrange use of the tools, please contact the Association giving advanced notice of the date you wish to collect them.

Millfield Allotments comprises approximately 4.5 acres of prime green space, and is surrounded by diverse hedgerows and mature trees, making it a haven for wildlife. The allotment site is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including birds, bees, mammals, amphibians, and insects. There are a number of different habitats, including hedges, ponds, insect banks, wildflower banks, and log and stone piles. It is a great place to observe nature and learn more about the local environment. Wildlife at Millfield Allotments: Millfield Allotments comprises approximately 4.5 acres of prime green space, and is surrounded by diverse hedgerows and mature trees, making it a haven for wildlife. The allotment site is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including birds, bees, mammals, amphibians, and insects. There are a number of different habitats, including hedges, ponds, insect banks, wildflower banks, and log and stone piles. It is a great place to observe nature and learn more about the local environment. We also have a dedicated plot for the production of honey, with a number of beehives located onsite. The plot is managed by a tenant, and the honey is sold locally by the Association with profits returning to the upkeep of the site. More information on our honey can be found on our Honey page.

Rent for allotment plots are managed by the Association Treasurer, who issues rent notices each year. Rents are fixed per rod, with the rental fee corresponding to the size of a plot. Current rates for the 2024 season are: £4.00 per rod. £40.00 for a full 10 rod plot. Concessionary rates are available for plot holders aged over 60, reducing the price of a 10 rod plot to £30.00. Concessionary rates are only available on full plots. Rents & Fees: Rent for allotment plots are managed by the Association Treasurer , who issues rent notices each year. Rents are fixed per rod, with the rental fee corresponding to the size of a plot. Current rates for the 2024 season are: £4.00 per rod £40.00 for a full 10 rod plot. Concessionary rates are available for plot holders aged over 60, reducing the price of a 10 rod plot to £30.00. Concessionary rates are only available on full plots. Rental agreements can be obtained from the beginning of November or at the yearly AGM meeting , and are payable by the end of November. Alongside the rent payment, allotment holders are required to pay a compulsory £3 subscription to the National Society of Allotment & Leisure Gardeners . This subscription helps to support the work of the Society, who are dedicated to protecting the interests of allotment holders and gardeners across the UK. In return all plot holders have access to the resources and guidance available on the Society website, access to free digital copies of the Allotment & Leisure Gardener magazines or a £10 per annum subscription for physical copies, liability insurance , and discounted seeds ordered through the Kings Seeds Scheme . No additional payment is required for the use of mains supplied water on the site. Failure to pay the rent and subscription by the due date may result in a plot being forfeited, and re-let to a new tenant.

Millfield Allotments is a community of like-minded individuals who all share a love of gardening and growing their own food. We provide a secure and friendly environment for our plot holders to develop their skills, make new connections, and enjoy the therapeutic benefits of gardening. We strive to create an environment that promotes sustainable and organic gardening practices, with respect to the environment and the wider Faversham community. Plot Holder Responsibilities: Millfield Allotments is a community of like-minded individuals who all share a love of gardening and growing their own food. We provide a secure and friendly environment for our plot holders to develop their skills, make new connections, and enjoy the therapeutic benefits of gardening. We strive to create an environment that promotes sustainable and organic gard ening practices, with respect to the environment and the wider Faversham community. In return we ask that plot holders take pride in their plots, and require that plot holders ensure their actions and the actions of those present on their plot are in line with the Tenancy Agreement and their responsibilities as a plot holder. Plot holders must agree to abide by the following: 1. Actively Worked Plots: To ensure that they keep their plot clean, free from weeds, in a good state of fertility and cultivation at all times. Cultivation is deemed to be the planting and growing of vegetables and fruit bushes and flowers. Strimmed grass does not count as cultivation. 2. Crop Allocation: As a guide approximately sixty five percent of a plot should be used for the cultivation and production of vegetables, the remaining thirty five percent can be used for fruit, flowers, grass, and shed / greenhouse areas. 3. Pathway Maintenance: To keep all paths adjoining the plot cut (if grass) and in serviceable use and well maintained at all times. 4. Nuisance: Not to cause nuisance to any other tenant nor to any local resident in any matter of site use and access. 5. Obstructions: Not to permit trees and plants on their plot to encroach over roadways, paths and neighbours plots. The Committee will have the right to cut back any offending growth if necessary. 6. Trees: Plot holders should ensure all fruit trees planted on their allotment plots should be on dwarf root stock. All trees should be pruned so they do not grow taller than two meters high and fruit trees pruned for fruit production. No nut trees to be planted and trees should not be planted along the boundaries of an allotment plot. 7. Litter and Waste : To ensure that plots are free from rubbish such as old tyres, bottles, and waste matter and should strive to keep plots tidy and well-kept at all times. Waste is not permitted to be brought onto the allotment site from external sources. 8. Organic Material: Not to deposit within the site any rubbish or decaying matter except manure and compost in such quantities as may reasonably be used for cultivation. 9. Waste Removal: To compost or reuse all matter arising from the cultivation of their plot. Any matter that is not compostable or reusable must be burnt or removed from the site by the tenant. 10. Bonfires: Bonfires are permitted on plots throughout the year. The times at which a bonfire can be lit depend on the season and weather. Plot holders will only light a bonfire, or permit a bonfire to be lit, in accordance with this criteria. More information, including the times bonfires are permitted, can be found on our Bonfires page. 11. Structures: To respect the measurement guide for sheds and greenhouses which should not be more than 1.8 meters x 1.2 meters. Sheds larger than this will not be permitted without prior consent from the Millfield Allotments Committee. 12. Dogs: To neither bring nor cause to be brought into the allotment site any dog unless it is under control at all times and belongs to the tenant (does not apply to Public Right of Way through the site). 13. Unauthorised Persons: To respect that the elected Committee shall have the right to refuse entry of any unauthorised person (a member of the tenant’s family is exempt from this ruling) unless that unauthorised person is accompanied by the tenant or a member of the Committee. 14. Children: To neither bring nor cause to be brought into the allotment site any child unless he/she is under the supervision of the tenant at all times. 15. Others' Property: To respect all installations, buildings and fixtures whether the property of Faversham Town Council, the collective property of all tenants or the Allotments Association. 16. Inspections: The Committee will appoint an inspection committee and schedule monthly inspections of plots that are timely, fair and appropriate to the season to ensure the undertaking by tenants are adhered to. All allotment tenants have an obligation to cooperate in such inspections. Procedures for non-cultivation will be fair, and made known at the outset to any tenant against whom action is proposed by way of a warning letter. Failure to bring the plot up to standard will result in the termination of the tenancy agreement. These responsibilities are designed to ensure that all of our members are able to enjoy their allotment in a safe and secure environment, and aid the Committee in the smooth running of the site. We strive to make Millfield Allotments a place that everyone can enjoy and feel proud to be a part of. Full details of all responsibilities held by individual plot holders, as well as Millfield Allotments Association, can be found in the Tenancy Agreement on our Document Library page.

At our allotment, we are incredibly proud of our growing efforts. Each year our plot holders grow a wide variety of different fruits, vegetables, plants and flowers, and our plot holders are very creative with their harvest. They produce a variety of dishes including pies, tarts, cakes, chutneys, relishes, jams, stews, soups, ice-cream and even alcoholic brews. Millfield Allotments also donates fresh vegetables and fruits to the Faversham Community Food Share. Monthly Growing Guides: The National Allotment Society have put together a twelve month guide full of advice on all aspects of managing a successful allotment. The guide is broken down by month, making them the perfect resource for anyone looking for advice on what they should be doing next on their allotment. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced gardener, the guides provide helpful tips and advice for all aspects of growing. To access the guides, simply click on the month you're interested in below! January February March April May June July August September October November December

Allotment plots are a great way to grow your own fruits, vegetables, and flowers. However, these plots should be maintained and cultivated regularly in order to yield the best results. Keeping your plot tidy and well maintained will also ensure that it remains attractive and safe for other allotment users. Unkempt plots can become overgrown and unproductive, and may even be a nuisance to other allotment owners. It is important to ensure that your plot is kept well maintained and cultivated. Unkempt Plot Process: Allotment plots are a great way to grow your own fruits, vegetables, and flowers. However, these plots should be maintained and cultivated regularly in order to yield the best results. Keeping your plot tidy and well maintained will also ensure that it remains attractive and safe for other allotment users. Unkempt plots can become overgrown and unproductive, and may even be a nuisance to other allotment owners. It is important to ensure that your plot is kept well maintained and cultivated. Cultivation is deemed to be the planting and growing of vegetables, fruit bushes and flowers. As a guide approximately 65% of a plot at Millfield should be used for the cultivation of vegetables, whilst the remaining 35% can be used for fruit, flowers, grass and the siting of sheds, greenhouses and polytunnels. Each year the Committee will appoint an inspection panel and schedule regular inspections of plots that are timely, fair and appropriate to the season to ensure the undertaking by tenants are adhered to. All allotment tenants have an obligation to cooperate in such inspections. Procedures for non-cultivation will be fair, and made known at the outset to any tenant against whom action is proposed, by order of the following process: 1) A plot is inspected and deemed to be unkempt, or lacking in adequate cultivation in line with the tenancy agreement as set out by Millfield Allotments Association and Faversham Town Council. 2) The Millfield Allotments Association Committee is notified of the unsatisfactory condition of the plot in question. 3) The plot holder is contacted by the Association Secretary to advise on the outcome of the inspection. A warning letter is sent to the plot holder and retained on record by the Secretary. 4) A re-inspection of the plot is conducted 28 days after the warning letter is sent. Failure to bring the plot up to the required standard plot will result in the termination of the tenancy agreement, with a termination letter being issued by the Secretary. Upon termination of the tenancy agreement, the plot holder must vacate the plot, taking all of their belongings with them. 5) The plot will then be let to a new tenant.

Millfield Allotments Announcements: May 16 1 min New Allotment Notice Board Installed A new Millfield Allotments notice board has been installed in the main car park beside plot 8a/8b, and the entrance to the vehicular... May 16 3 min Water Leak - *Updated 8th July* The Committee have identified that there is currently a water leak on our underground pipe network, and so regretfully, the taps around... May 10 1 min Faversham Archaeology Visit Over the 24th and 25th May 2024, the Faversham Society Archaeological Research Group (FSARG) will be visiting Millfield Allotments to...

Sat, 20 Jul | Garden Room - Social Building Open Day 2024 Millfield Allotments Association Open Day Time & Location: 20 Jul 2024, 11:00 – 15:00 Garden Room - Social Building, Millfield Allotments, Millfield Rd, Faversham ME13 8DQ, UK About This Event: Millfield Allotments Association Open Day 2024: The Millfield Allotments Association Open Day is a yearly opportunity for members and non-members alike to come and explore our allotments. Each year we open up our gates to allow you to walk around our allotments and take in the beautiful plots tended to by our hard working tenants. This year the Committee have decided that the summer Open Day will be combined with our Plotholder's BBQ, and our annual Scarecrow Competition will also be judged on the day. We’ll also have refreshments available, face painting, cakes and sweet treats, and the Faversham Society Archaelogical Research Group will also be showing off their finds from our site as well as demonstrating a dig! All monies raised go back to the upkeep of our allotments. Whether you're looking for a fun family day out, a prospective tenant thinking of applying for a plot, or simply just interested in what goes on at Millfield Allotments, our Open Day is the perfect summer activity. Please come along if you can. Show More Share this event