Talks over childrens' allotment visit ban
Nursery children banned from a town's allotments could soon be growing their own vegetables once again after civic leaders and nursery bosses agreed to hold talks.
In June Wem Town Council banned Stables Day Care from taking pre-schoolers on educational visits to the allotments in Love Lane, blaming health and safety fears and tenancy issues for their decision.
But at a town council meeting on Thursday night, members were told that talks will take place next week between the authority and nursery boss, Beccy Ahmad, who has written to North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson about the ban.
Peter Broomhall, Wem mayor, said: "The chairman of the environment committee and I have a meeting next week with Mr and Mrs Ahmad when we will be discussing the matter."
Councillor Chris Mellings, who chairs the town council's environment committee which first recommended the ban, said it was important to resolve the issue.
He said: "This meeting will hopefully resolve this issue because it's doing the community and the council no good. We are being pro-active."
Earlier this month the Health and Safety Executive said there was 'nothing' in law to stop the children, some as young as three, from going on educational visits to the allotments.
Rosi Edwards, Midlands regional director for the HSE, said the town council's decision 'denied an enjoyable learning experience', to the youngsters.
The ban was backed by councillors on June 28 after they decided the allotment, leased to Mrs Ahmad, was being used 'inappropriately'.
The council said other allotment users had complained that a fence created to protect the children was making access difficult for them. More than 150 people supporting the nursery have signed an e-petition on a government website.
