KEEPING THE PLOT
“Allotments are the last remnant of the common land that once belonged to everyone”
It’s all too easy for those in favour of development to portray allotmenteers as selfish individualists defending their right to pursue their hobby at the expense of the wider community. Given the urgent need for housing and other amenities, allotment sites in what are now prime development locations can be seen as an anachronism that can no longer be indulged. But the right we are defending is a fundamental one: allotments are the last remnant of the common land that once belonged to everyone. Allotment provision began as a response in March 2017) lost their four-year battle to save their site. Although the plot-holders won two court cases, Watford Borough Council persuaded the judge in the third case that its need for development land constituted the ‘exceptional circumstances’ which can override statutory allotment protections. The campaigners described the judgment as a ‘developers’ charter’ which would pave the way for many more closures. So what has changed – and what can we do about it?
