Shropshire Sustainable Growing Media
and Sustainably Grown Plants Scheme
Supported by Defra/RHS Sustainable Horticulture in Partnership Fund
Delivered by Shropshire Council Sustainability Team
Background
Incredible Edible Shropshire (IES) coordinates community growing activity around the county. The aim of the initiative is to encourage community action, business involvement and educational awareness around food growing. This can be better achieved through the use of sustainable growing media (SGM) and sustainably grown plants (SGP). This fund envisages enabling the local Incredible Edible supporters to develop projects using SGM and SGP, therefore raise awareness of the importance of switching to SGM long-term.
Are you eligible?
The scheme is available to community groups / individuals / organisations thatare creating / developing community growing under the Incredible Edible Shropshire Ethos in 2014 and 2015.
Projects must be located in Shropshire County.It is the applicants’ responsibility to ensure that the Project they are submitting has the appropriate planning permission if applicable to the project and that the current managers of the land have agreed to the project.
Up to £500 can be applied for per application per year. If your project would benefit from greater support than this, please make this known in your application as this may be possible in exceptional circumstances.
You are NOT eligible to apply if the planting is on private land with no public access.
How to apply
Using the application form over, define your project and the costs / amount of compost and plants you require, ensuring you enclose a map of where you intend to plant your community garden. Return the form to the Sustainability Team at Shropshire Council, Shirehall, Shrewsbury, SY2 6NDor email to 31st January, May or August 2014,
What happens next?
Projects can start in February 2014 after projects have been accepted by letter. This should tie in well with growing seasons enabling bare rooted plants to be planted in the winter periods as well as project planting later in the season. This is a limited fund for plants and compost so we are expecting to fully allocate in the three rounds of applications. Projects will be appraised on benefits to,and impact on,the wider community, the local environment (including any existing wildlife interest), and the sustainability of the project. If we are oversubscribed projects may be offered smaller amounts to give wider coverage across the county.
Timescales in Year 1November 2013 – end January 20141st Application
March 2014 – end May 20142nd Application
June 2014 – end August 20143rd Application
February, June, SeptemberApplication appraisal and selection
February, June, SeptemberSuccessful projects informed
February 2014 – January 2015 Initial project operation
October - December 2014 provisionallyYear 2 applications
To enable the project to be open to a wide range of groups and individuals involved with Incredible Edible Shropshire we will not be handing out the money for these projects, instead we are asking you to be specific with local suppliers in your requests for plants and compost so we can arrange payment - collection will be your responsibility. We will try where possible to support any named suppliers but please bear in mind compost MUST be Sustainable Growing Media (ie NO PEAT) and all plants must be grown in PEAT FREE compost, and we will reserve the right to ask you to use alternative suppliers where appropriate.
You will be required to provide photographs and a case study about your planting to be used as examples of Incredible Edible Shropshire projects and the use of SMG and SGP.
Name:
Organisation:
Address:
Tel:
Email:
Web site or Facebook page if available:
Location of where planting will take place (Please also enclose a map)
Total project costs applied for (up to £500)
Name and signature of landowner if planting on land not owned by applicant
If you are unsure of land ownership please contact us in advance of submitting this application so we can help identify ownership.
Project details: including area of site, planting timescales, management after planting.
Compost:
Name and details of intended supplier
Volume
Cost
Plants:Name and details of intended supplier
Number and Species
Cost
There is also some money for publicity, labels and tools so if you would like any of these for your site please provide further details below, including costs, although depending on resources requested some of these may be provided centrally.