Our members recently attended a meeting to discuss the
future of peat. It took place at William Sinclair in Ellesmere Port and
included a tour of the manufacturing facility and a chance for members to
discuss the use of peat.
Our Chairman, Peter Burks explained: “It was great for our
members to have the chance to meet up and have a discussion about peat and peat
alternatives.
“We had a big debate on the topic and now we have listened
to our members views we will be working with the Horticultural Trades
Association (HTA) to develop a policy.”
Carol Paris, Director General of the HTA also attended the
event.
Managing Director of Poplars Garden Centre in Bedfordshire,
David Little, one of our members, said: “I found the day very interesting and
informative. The facilities at Sinclair’s Ellesmere Port are very impressive
and the company’s vision for further investment at the site are very exciting
indeed.
“It was really useful to be reminded of the Government’s targets
regarding the use of peat in amateur gardening and to understand what the
alternatives are for the future.
“I came away with one clear message, while the contents of
the bag may be changing, the results for gardeners will be the same. The
challenge facing us now is to get this message across to our customers.”
Another member, Will Armitage, Managing Director of
Armitage’s, which has two garden centres in Huddersfield, also attended the
meeting.
He said: “It was a very informative day and great to see a
company that has previously been so closely associated with peat products show
us how far advanced they are in being able to provide us with effective
alternatives.
“We can’t change the Government’s aim on the use of peat in
compost, but we can help to adjust our customers’ expectations in regard to how
growing media will look and feel in the future.”
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