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Allotment Madness
Posted on 27/04/2008
K. Pearson
Sunday dinner, you can’t beat it can you? Roast Beef, new potatoes, carrots, broccoli, - the works. Best of all, I grew it all myself. Oh OK, not the beef I admit... I’m still searching high and low for best early crop roast beef seeds in amongst the cabbages and tomato plants! Allotments to some may seem old fashioned to some, however there are benefits on so many levels. From the ecological side, in an age when we need to cut down on the freight of food around the globe or cut down on packaging it has to be the ultimate in sustainable food production. The bad news is that this time next year though I might not even have my allotment!
The land at the end of Great Central Road in Loughborough was reserved as an over-spill cemetery during the Second World War. In 1946 part of the land was assigned as an allotment and given Temporary Status by the then Loughborough Corporation. What this means is simple... the Charnwood Council can give plot holders 12 months notice to quit and then they can sell off the land for development. The Council do not have to find us alternative and suitable land or even compensate us for what in some cases, is many years of hard work. Statutory or Permanent allotment sites though are different. They are protected from sale and cannot be sold or used for other purposes without the consent of the Secretary of State for Transport.
The legislation regarding Temporary allotments is old fashioned, out of date and nothing but 80 year old stupidity. It is so important now to guarantee the long term survival of allotments, which are significant to our green spaces and provide habitats for many forms of wildlife. In doing so, we ensure the longevity of these valuable recreational opportunities involving healthy activity and social contacts. Surely it makes sense now that all new allotment sites, and all Temporary sites which have existed for say 30 years or more, be automatically re-designated as Statutory Status?
The Loughborough Great Central Road allotment site is 46 years old and is still classed as a temporary site! Despite over a year of campaigning Charnwood Council have still not put this issue on their Agenda. It’s just a signature for heavens sake! Reasons for this include they can’t find the original documents or don’t worry “we’re not going to build on it AT THE MOMENT”, or perhaps they just can’t see the need for assuring the tenants of a guaranteed future.
Charnwood Council proudly claim in their glossy leaflets and web site that “Allotments are an important part of the culture within Charnwood, and provide a wide range of benefits to communities and the environment”, they also go on, “Charnwood Council has a statutory requirement to provide allotments for the public”.
So if they are saying all this, what’s the problem? Why won’t they just put their money where their mouth is? Make our allotment site permanent before I begin to get symptoms of Temporary Madness, which reminds me...
Of course, you can’t have a lovely Sunday Roast without Yorkshire Puddings, so I’m off now up the “Lotty” to see if my Egg Plants are ripe!