[Sprouts]

Looks like we are going to be losing our plots

Full story here

http://www.bostonstandard.co.uk/news/Uprooted.3384004.jp

Anyone got any ideas how we can stop it

Thanks

Sprouts

[WG.]

Hi and welcome.

Try http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page12015.asp it makes interesting reading. It says "Furthermore, if an allotment authority is of the opinion that there is a demand for allotments in its area, it is required under Section 23 of the Small Holdings and Allotments Act 1908, to provide a sufficient number of allotments and to let them to persons residing in its area who want them."

Written representations may be made to the local authority on the need for allotments by any 6 residents on the electoral register or persons liable to pay council tax, and the local authority must take those representations into account

[alan42]

put as many objections as you can in there path things like who did the survey to make sure there are no rare wild plants or reptiles voles ect who did the survey for the sewage works will it be up to the task of handling the amount of sewage ok they have surveyed ok you want to see it. just keep rocking the boat. make sure you all stick together i might be mistaken but i think the council has to provide you all with new allotments that are the same size soil ect i think it is law check on it.
alan

[Sally A]

Find out how the charity acquired the land, as it's a charity there is a chance there is a restrictive covenant on the land.  The Land Registry should be able to help you too.

I see from another article the current rental income is £1,400 per annum compared to a possible £500,000 for sale to developers.

Since charities are now more like buisnesses it's all greed and down to figures not charitable interest.

Play on the green part, ie zero air miles for food, wildlife, activity and exercise etc.

Good Luck.

[gobs]

I'm sorry to be a realist here, I would be surprised if you could stop them. :cry:

As the land is not owned by the council all the laws relating do not apply.

Can check out the charity by Sally's advice and move all you can (protest etc) to get some land back as they promise, otherwise that might get forgotten as well. Good luck, and let's hope I'm wrong. :roll:

[Aunt Sally]

Gather all your objections for the council planning committee but do not disclose what these objections are to the developer/charity.  If you do they will have time to find a way around them  :evil:

[Annie]

If the charity own the land why did the council serve notice and since the sale is subject to planning permission and councils grant planning permission...I would try as WGs approach andinsist they say where alternative sites are before they ask you to quit.Also that the council ask about the allocation of allotments and get at least that agreed before planning permission is given or are they in the potential buyers pocket.I think it really is getting the press involved  etc.Try a search as wellas I think we have had info on this before.Lobby your mp too.All the best and let us know how it goes, this is a good place to come on a bad day.

[muntjac]

tell ya mp to get offf her /his bum n pitch in to help stop this  :x

[noshed]

Speak to the people who got shunted out by the Olympics (see previous posts) they lost in the end but they got a new site with sheds and compensation, I believe.

[sweet nasturtium]

Just to give you a bit of a spur - our local Alexandra Palace was just recently nearly sold to a maverick property developer for £55m.  The palace was built "for the people" 100 years ago but the council just wanted it sold off.  The deal was nearly done, very much behind the local community's back but a local historian got his papers together and took the Council to the High Court and Won!!!!  The Charities Commission had even oked the deal but the Court overturned their plans completely.

So if you believe it's right it probably is, and you'll probably win.

Good luck.

[Sprouts]

Thanks everyone for your advice

Will keep you all posted

[Aidy]

tell ya mp to get offf her /his bum n pitch in to help stop this  :x

Probably getting a back hander.
Good luck I am sure we are all rooting for you.

[Scribbler]

God this makes me so angry. The Olympics fiasco seems to bring together everything that's wrong with society. The land was left for allotment use in perpetuity, but the Government just overturns this without a by your leave. (Illegally in my opinion, but a clever and highly-paid lawyer could wangle anything). Sheer greed and corruption, without a thought to the individuals affected. They say we get the Government we deserve, well what have we done to deserve this?

B*stards.

[sweet nasturtium]

And then there's Terminal blinking Five!

[Simon123]

Good luck in your battle Sprouts.  I will try to find out what I can because there was an interesting case over in Plymouth a few years ago, where some neglected allotments were re-instated after many years of closure(surprisingly!).  The allotments had their heyday back in the 1960s - in fact anyone leaving/entering Plymouth on the main Embankment Road had to go past these plots.  They were a hive of activity in an area where little 'green belt' existed.  Additionally they were right up against the main Paddington to Penzance railway line and had been closed in the 1980s due to a variety of factors - including suspected arsenic poisoning (much of the natural arsenic that used to flow down from Dartmoor settled on marsh land at sea level, where these plots were).  I'm not sure of the full story but I was delighted to see them opened up again about 4 years ago and they are the hive of activity that they were in the 1960s - arsenic or not.  If it worked for them with the added risk factor (railway and all) I think it's worth a fight.

Simon