Test Valley Borough Council and Andover Food Partnership are building a detailed map of local community growing spaces – and want residents to help shape it.
A new mapping project aims to highlight the hidden green gems across Andover and the wider Test Valley, by recording the locations of community gardens, orchards and shared growing spaces.
The initiative will help uncover growing projects that may have been planted but never listed, or started without being advertised. Test Valley Borough Council’s goal is to compile a borough-wide map detailing who owns each site, who oversees it, and whether any locations require support or intervention.
The council hopes the map will:
- Make it easier for local people to find and get involved in community growing.
- Support groups already working on the ground.
- Identify where new or underused spaces could be developed.
If you’re involved in a community garden, orchard, or shared growing project – or know of one near you – you’re invited to contribute.
To share information or express interest in taking part, email: leisure@testvalley.gov.uk
You can also view the current progress of the map via Google My Maps at Community Gardens – Test Valley Borough.