DERELICT land in Alloa has been selected to be the site of a community-led food growing project using renewable energy.
Clackmannanshire Council has been awarded a grant of £500,000 from the Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land Fund to kickstart the project, with work expected to begin in the spring.
The project, set to be Clackmannanshire Living Lab, will see the unused land next to Alloa’s Forthbank Recycling Centre transformed into a site for growing produce, complete with solar panels and a rainwater capture system.
Fiona Law, council spokesperson for environment and net zero, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for those living in Clackmannanshire.
“This project will be a stepping stone towards the creation of local community investment in renewable energy and food growing and could in the future create new jobs and skills development.
LIVING LAB: The derelict land next to Forthbank Recycling Centre is set to be transformed into a community-led food growing project.
“The council is keen to develop community wealth building initiatives which create a new people-centred approach to local economic development, redirecting wealth back into the local economy and placing control and benefits into the hands of the local people.”
A Living Lab is an open innovation ecosystem research project that focuses on addressing sustainability challenges.
The University of Stirling has signed on as a partner and hope that the project can eventually be scaled up to cover an area of 95 hectares at Forthbank, opening up to a range of green jobs, skills inward investment and careers.
Professor Rachel Norman, chair in food security and sustainability at the University of Stirling, said: “We are really thrilled that this funding bid has been successful.
“It will allow us to take the first step toward building facilities that will benefit the local community and will strengthen further the connections with the research community here at the University of Stirling.
LIVING LAB: The derelict land next to Forthbank Recycling Centre is set to be transformed into a community led food growing project.
“Looking at the wide ranging benefits of innovative community food growing and local renewable energy use will allow us to understand how this type of system can be best used for Clackmannanshire.”
Living Lab was one of 15 projects selected by the Scottish Government to receive a share of a £10million fund as part of the derelict land investment programme 2023-24.
Work is expected to commence on the site in spring, with a planned completion date ser for early 2024.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here