The site on Listerhills Road in Bradford doesn't look like much from the outside - a low wall, a locked gate, some raised beds visible from the pavement. But two summers ago it was a quarter-acre of cracked tarmac, council-owned and largely unused except as informal parking. What happened between then and now is worth understanding, because it's a more useful model for urban greening than most of the projects that get written about.
The group behind it - a loose collective that eventually incorporated as a community interest company - didn't start with a vision statement or a funding application. They started with a skip and a set of shovels. The first summer was entirely about breaking up and removing surface asphalt in sections small enough that the work could happen at weekends with volunteer labour. The raised bed frames went in the following spring, built from reclaimed timber sourced from a local demolition company that was happy to divert the material.
What the space produces now
The productive section currently runs to fourteen raised beds growing brassicas, salad leaves, courgettes, climbing beans, chard and several varieties of tomato in the polytunnel that was added in the second year. There's a herb section that's essentially self-managing at this point, and a section of soft fruit - predominantly blackcurrants and redcurrants - that was planted in the first autumn and began producing meaningfully last summer.
The container connection
What makes this particularly relevant for fitshluminous readers is that the project is almost entirely container-based in its approach. Because the asphalt layer was removed but the underlying compacted base wasn't - the cost and complexity of full remediation was prohibitive - everything grows in raised beds filled with a mix of topsoil, compost and sharp sand. The logic is identical to balcony growing: you're creating the growing environment rather than working with existing ground. The same principles around drainage, soil mix and water retention that apply to a window box apply here at a larger scale.
"You're creating the growing environment rather than working with existing ground. The same principles that apply to a window box apply here at a larger scale."
What others can take from it
The project's longevity - it's now into its third growing season without significant external funding - comes down to keeping the scope manageable. The collective resisted pressure to expand too quickly and has maintained a roster of around thirty regular volunteers rather than chasing higher numbers. The produce is distributed among contributors, with surplus going to a food bank collection point two streets away. There are no paid staff. The model is deliberately replicable at small scale, and the collective has already helped two other Bradford groups start similar projects on much smaller sites - including one that's working entirely in large containers on a community centre car park that remains in use for parking on weekdays.
If you're near Bradford and want to find out more, the group runs open mornings on the first Saturday of each month. The contact details are on their noticeboard, which is visible through the gate on Listerhills Road.