[yewtreemob]

I echo most of the comments made and have signed the petition this morning.  I have no doubt that gardeners and allotmenteers could run a better society but we live in a country with little consenus - I can't blame politicians they have to work with the raw material they are presented with - a culture in which shock is the preferred emotion and  the population promote Jade Goody as a cultural icon aahead of Carol Klein.

Richard

[Aunt Sally]

I see Lottie Lady has posted again today  

If you read this LL how did they get on at Mannor Gardens  :?:

[noshed]

Manor Gardens have won a slight reprieve - a delay really. Waltham Forest council have refused planning permission for where they want them to move to. But the ODA are still determined to get rid of them. Obviously they don't want normal people to be seen around the Olympics.
They've been offered £850 each to move - I would hold out for a better site and a shed and a greenhouse each.

[Aunt Sally]

Thanks noshed that's a small piece of good news.  Good to know that it's being made "difficult for them in office"  to trample on good people  

[noshed]

You wouldn't believe what they're doing round here - closing libaries and all sorts. I thought the Olympics were supposed to be a cultural festival as well as a celebration of physical prowess. But I'm just a romantic

[Aunt Sally]

This is the official government reply:

The Government is aware that this is a very sensitive issue and the decision to relocate the allotments was not one that was taken lightly. However, it is necessary for the allotments to be relocated if London is to deliver the Olympic Park for the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games and the long-term plan for the regeneration of the Lower Lea Valley.

The current site of the Manor Garden allotments is in the heart of the Olympic Park and ground levels at the allotment site will need to change by up to 6 metres. These level changes will form part of the flood risk management of the Lower Lea Valley and create a natural area of reed beds and wildlife habitat. The area the allotments occupy will also be in the middle of what will be a huge construction site for the next few years and it would therefore not be possible for the allotment holders to continue their activities in this environment. It would also not be possible for the allotment holders to have access to the site because it needs to be completely secure.

The space currently occupied by the allotments will form part of a circulation and access area during the 2012 Games. This area is vital for the movement, safety and security of the public during the Games. After the Games it will be one of the key connections in the area, acting as part of the link between the green spaces of the Lea Valley Regional Park, Hackney Marsh and the Olympic Park.

Following the 2012 Games there is a commitment to reinstate at least the same number of allotments within the Legacy Park and all current Manor Garden allotment holders will be offered one of these new allotments. In the meantime the London Development Agency (LDA), which is responsible for assembling the land for the Olympic Park, is working with the allotment holders to try to relocate the Manor Garden society for the period running up to the Games. To achieve this, the LDA has submitted a planning application that, if approved, will allow the creation of new allotments within 1 mile of the existing site.