Glasshouses at Tingwall

[ianboy1]

Anybody been in a brodies down the road of late we were in one just outside Stirling a few weeks ago and it was fantastic we bought a lot o frozen fruit and stuff which was fantastic for makin smoothies and stuff and you had everything their plants , household , books , toys scented candles you name it and a fantastic cafe we the most delicious fresh cream cakes I have ever tasted,, And I think this would be a fantastic idea for the Glasshouses we were witness to a coach trip arriving so yes they do exist and visit places like that.

 

Their could be a central running group set up we a cooperative type idea where folk come we their goods fae whatever corner o Shetland and it is purchased from them at a lets say 50% of its market value when the goods are sold the producer then gets a remaining balance of the due amount less a % to cover running costs ? wonder if it would work ? Almost kinda lik a factoring type idea but no quite.

 

Oh and no goods would be purchased outwith the isles unless it could not be sourced from the isles and their was a proven market demand and it would not demise any local produce ?

 

Most sense im heard spoken in a while crack at PJ of Hildisvik,, get a group o you together an fin oot wha owns it now !

[Guest posiedon]

Heimdal

IIRC the greenhouses were bought some time back by a consortium including Ghufar. They were to be dismantled and shipped to the mainland, but nothing has happened, so far.

Following up on my post of yesterday.

I have it on good authority that certain founder members of the Shetland Horticultural Society, offered £40,000 for the glasshouses around 6 years ago, with a plan to grow fruit and veg for sale to the Shetland community, they were told by the then owner (planticrub?) that the price was £80,000.

 

In reply to Heimdal, Due to the impracticality and huge cost, the idea of moving them (anywhere, let alone down south) has been abandoned.

The last proposal I can remember, was to demolish them, to sell the aluminium as scrap and the glass for re-cycling, and to put housing on the site.

[Heimdal]

I can well imagine that the cost of moving them would be enormous, but it seems a pity that they are just standing there, empty.

Plantiecrub grew first class quality tomatoes and cucumber in them for sale through local shops some 10 years ago, but it was not financially viable then and I doubt it would be today. They wanted to dictate the price the produce was to be sold at, much higher than the stuff imported from Holland, and the customers chose the cheaper option.

 

I remember too, pie in the sky talk about 'An Eden of the North' project, but that would just have meant asking the S.I.C. (in one form or another) for more big bucks backing. I doubt if the proposers of that scheme would have been prepared to put their own cash in and put their houses on the line as some local business men have had to do in the recent past.

[breeksy]

Maybe the SIC should buy them, and then rent out spaces like people have allotments south.

[JustMe]

Maybe the SIC should buy them, and then rent out spaces like people have allotments south.

What an excellent idea........there must be lots of Shetland people who would like to grow some of their own food but do not have the space to do so. Perhaps commercial growers could also rent space.

[Baron Farkoff]

That is a brilliant idea!

[Guest posiedon]

Heimdal

Plantiecrub grew first class quality tomatoes and cucumber in them for sale through local shops some 10 years ago, but it was not financially viable then and I doubt it would be today.

No, I don't think it was planticrub who grew the tomatoes, it was the previous owner of the glasshouses.

I believe it was a string of restrictive rules and regulations from Brussels that forced him to give up, not that it was not financially viable.

[Pooks]

Maybe the SIC should buy them, and then rent out spaces like people have allotments south.

 

A good idea but I seriously doubt that the surrounding population would see it being a success. For people to use it then they need to have easy access to it. To do that, the council would also need to lay on transport to and from the area. I can't see many folk willing to spend a tenner on petrol to check on their carrots.

 

The bus would then need to be subsidised and not conflict with existing timetables. More than likely this would make it impracticable for most and the resulting tax payer would be hit again.

 

It is a shame that nothing can be found for the place. You never know, it might end up being hangar space for some more SIC flying machines.

[Fjool]

Incredible to think that in this day and age of 'buy local' and 'eat more veg' that these are not stuffed full of high quality produce. Somehow folk prefer to buy from a supermarket and then complain that it's not grade A. (>_

 

How much further does the price of fuel have to rise before it becomes highly desirable to have such a growing space?

[ArabiaTerra]

Incredible to think that in this day and age of 'buy local' and 'eat more veg' that these are not stuffed full of high quality produce. Somehow folk prefer to buy from a supermarket and then complain that it's not grade A. (>_<)

 

How much further does the price of fuel have to rise before it becomes highly desirable to have such a growing space?

 

Not far, I would expect tho' Tesco might have something to say about that. I think the allotment idea is an excellent one. Maybe some sort of co-operative society could be formed to buy and run it?

[johno6998]

I quite agree - there should be something done with these greenhouses. What a waste. All the local produce should be put together in a special place like this. Tingwall is also central so accessible by most.

[Twerto]

Read This letter from Rosa and felt it has some good point ands left em asking why does the council not look into this?

 

It would seem a waste to dismantle the green house when there is the oppertuneaty to put them to good use.

 

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[Fjool]

My wife and I were discussing this very thing as we drove past last weekend. I agree entirely with Rosa. I'd go further and say that failing to use these to grow local fruit and veg is tantamount to criminal negligence. Demolishing them would be idiocy. imho.

[Njugle]

Just seen the news item about the guy in Lewis producing wine, and my brain is jumping up and down at the fact that Shetland has all that greenhouse space lying empty, and under threat.

 

Shocking.

[PJ of Hildisvik]

I wonder if there is any amount of land surrounding the glasshouses, as this would be perfect for allotments, as the land there would be fertile, cos i'm pretty sure it is alkaline, these glasshouses should be used by Shetlanders and not dismantled and sent south, and the site left to deteriorate for years.