Blane Valley Allotments

Ramp Report

After much discussion at the AGM, it was agreed, after further inspection on the 16^th of November, that the ramp was not safe for use; the beam supporting the decking on the long part of the ramp was broken through in at least 3 places. That day the ramp was closed for use until the essential repair work could be completed.

Over the next few of days, Jessica, Bruce and Craig began work on dismantling the original ramp, which had served us all well for just over thirteen years. It was a slow and steady task, unscrewing the structure bit by bit whenever possible, so that wherever possible, salvageable wood could and has been salvaged; Ann Mackenzie soon became a master of coaxing the more stubborn screws out of the salvaged wood, no easy task, as I’m sure you’ll agree. The wooden posts presented one of tougher jobs, as the had been secured with what is believed to be concrete and had to be dug out. Thanks go to Mike and Colin for beginning this unenviable undertaking.

The plan was to build up an earth ramp that would last a good while to keep us sustainable and to keep costs down. We were still unsure, though, whether we may need to purchase rolled steel joists and wooden sleepers to retain the earth. It was also uncertain whether we would need extra earth or other infill to fully complete the proposed earth ramp. Regardless of the doubts, the work continued without letting these uncertainties slow its progress. With the ramp out of action, our less mobile members were unable to access their plots as easily as they could before, and it was important that the project reach completion as soon as possible.

By the 20^th, thanks to valiant effort and focus, the ramp had been fully dismantled and the ramp cleared (debris still remained to be removed). Now that we could quite literally see the lie of the land, it was decided that we could keep costs down and stick within our budget for this by constructing an earth ramp without needing much else other than aggregate. Hard work brings its own rewards.

The following day, Ian and Carol came down to measure up the space and to explore the way forward. Ian is a retired mining engineer and Carol is a former commercial gardener; also, Carol’s daughter Hannah – who had been contributing advice remotely – is a civil engineer. We have a wealth of expertise within our hive mind as plot holders, and it has been wonderful to see it in action. A blue line was put up to mark the line of the gradient of the land the other side of the fence as a guide – this was measured to less than 1:12, which is one of the requirements for disabled access.

The following day, Bruce, Linda, Jessica, Colin, Callum, Jo, and Mike returned to complete the removal of the ramp, as well as organising the salvaged wood into piles, and separating the useless debris for removal. A couple of posts proved too stubborn for digging out completely, so these were broken down as close to the ground as possible so that the earth ramp would eventually conceal the stumps, along with the connecting beam.

On the 26^th, ahead of the aggregate being delivered on the following day, Erling assisted with some final preparatory on the slope that had been left behind after the removal of the ramp. With the aid for some wonderful tech – a laser level – he was able to establish that ramp gradient achieved was 1:10. In addition to this, with the help of the now familiar faces on the ramp crew, new posts were fitted in anticipation of the replacement handrail once the earth ramp had been laid.

After the successful delivery of the aggregate on the 27^th, and a couple of days well earned rest, Colin and Bruce returned to the plot on December 1^st to complete work on a now safe and functional ramp, laying down membrane, before topping with aggregate to then build the earth ramp. A handrail is still to be fitted, but the ramp is as of December 1^st functional and safe. A remarkable achievement gained from a long fortnight of hard work. Along each step of the project, the momentum forward developed organically; a plan had been made, but one with room for intuitive decision making possibilities along the way: seeing what we had and how to adapt to this was what was required throughout. That, and an unwavering can-do attitude.

Of course, functional and safe is merely working to the letter of the brief; good enough for government work, as some say. But beyond that there’s then taking pride in what you’ve worked hard on, and on December 3^rd the ramp progressed again. Bruce returned to dig out earth and lay further aggregate to cover the membrane at the top of the ramp, meaning the ramp was now longer and the slope is down to about 1:12. It also meant that it looked more complete and more like a well established piece of the plots: a mix cosmetic trickery and having some heart in the design.

Mike also returned and did an incredible job putting the remaining aggregate in a pile, clearing it away from the top of the ramp and making access so much easier.

Craig also joined in the work that day, removing all the wood; including, after some serious log splitting, the huge log that was part of the compost box (whole thing away now). As well as this, along with Bruce, they broke up some of the concrete and put it in the car park ready for removal.

Linda joined in as well, rolling up bits of chicken wire to then flatten & package them, which Craig took to the dump as well. She also stacked the better of the salvaged wood (posts and decking boards) on the patio on the far side of the cabin. (If anyone wants to take any of it they are welcome to do so – but please keep the reminder stacked so that it is stable).

Carol and Linda have also ordered composite lumber to make a short handrail by the side of the flower bed. The upright posts are already in place. If you can help with creating this please let us know and we can get the lumber and perhaps some screws ordered. Note: this lumber will be very heavy and we think more than one person may be needed. A drill will also be needed.

And finally, after a few weeks of resting and simply enjoying December and all it brings, Callum made a visit to the plots on Christmas Eve and finished off the end of the ramp, as the last of the pictures below will show.

We hope you have all had a very Merry Christmas, and wish you all a very Happy New Year.

Best regards and thanks.

**********************