The Municipal Network of Community Gardens of La Laguna will have a new one located in the neighborhood of Los Olivos, in Geneto, and that will be added to the other three already in operation. In addition, the next ordinary session of the Plenary will approve the first municipal Ordinance regulating the exploitation of municipal land for urban orchards, after its approval by the Local Government Board last Monday. This was announced by the councilor for the area, José Luis Hernández, who explained that “this represents an important boost to the efforts that are being made by the Departments of the Environment and Social Welfare to extend this network to all towns and neighborhoods.”
After its approval by the Plenary, the ordinance will be published in the Official Gazette of the Province (BOP) and a period of allegations will be opened, and if none are presented, it will enter into force. The mayor stressed that in the elaboration of the norm “there has already been a participatory process with the opposition, the groups and the users of the orchards already underway”, for which he does not expect that there will be allegations.
Currently, the network is made up of the orchards located in San Matías, Pico Cho Canino in Finca España and San Bonito in San Benito, and “it is in a preliminary phase for the construction of another in the Los Olivos, in Geneto”, pointed out the mayor. In addition, “we collaborate with the one from Cáritas located on Camino La Villa,” he added.
“The idea is that this network of community gardens continues to grow, because every time we meet with an association they ask us to create one in that neighborhood or town. In fact, even private individuals offer us to sign an agreement to give us land to dedicate to vegetable gardens, it is a very heartfelt demand among the population”, highlighted Hernández. For this reason, the Environment Department has asked the Urban Planning Department to study in municipal planning “what areas of the municipality are suitable for having a community garden,” he said.
Regulation
The ordinance establishes the rules of operation of these spaces, regulating the conditions of use, enjoyment and use of plots or land intended for use as an ecological urban garden and its exclusive use for agricultural cultivation and for self-consumption. It also establishes the procedure aimed at awarding the various urban gardens to beneficiary individuals and entities that meet the conditions contained in the standard, which also includes regulation of the disciplinary regime.
In addition, the users will be responsible for the maintenance of the plots and the expenses that arise, although the councilor explained that “there are families at risk of exclusion for whom having a plot allows them to supplement their diet with quality products, there we would have to do with Social Welfare, which we have already discussed, how to articulate formulas to help cover the expenses that these families without resources would have to pay. The idea is that no one who wants to have access to a plot is left out due to their economic situation”.
