Next meeting for Directors will be on Thursday 11th December 2008 at 11am

ALLOTMENTS IN CRISIS!

Please sign our petition for more allotments Now Closed

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/moreallotments/

The petition closed on the 2nd August with a total 2,353 signatures. We would like to thank everyone who took the time to sign it, we now await the Governments response.

It is becoming more evident that there are not enough allotments to go around. After years of neglect and councils selling off our precious green spaces supply can no longer meet demand. Everyone wants an allotment; all across the country waiting lists are long with some people being told they will have to wait up to seven years in some cases, but most people can expect at least a two year wait.

We are concerned about the lack of allotment sites across the country and believe more should be being done to protect the sites we have and that Councils and developers should be forced to make provision for allotments or community gardens when building new developments.  The SWCAA urge everyone out there who is stuck on a waiting list to take action. Councils will use excuse after excuse of reasons why they can't provide more allotments we need to show them that there are plenty of reasons why they should. Find out what steps to take HERE

The Small holdings and Allotments act of 1925, Section 3 specified that when a local authority is preparing a town-planning scheme, it must 'consider what provisions ought to be included therein for the reservation of land for allotments.' This provision was repealed by the Town and Country Planning Act 1947. (This Act was intended to facilitate the acquisition and maintenance of allotments, and to make further provision for the security of tenure of tenants of allotments)

Planning Policy Note 17 updates this by making it a duty to include green space and recreational areas in all local plans, and states that this duty includes planning provision for allotments. We believe this is not being put into practice as often as it should be.

The numbers of allotment plots across the country has been rapidly declining for some years which is bad news, especially as allotment gardening has taken off again in a big way. Councils are forced to consider alternative uses for sites, especially those that have been neglected.

Allotments can play a big part in the fight to preserve our environment; they are important Green spaces which need to be protected. All manner of wildlife can be found on the allotment from frogs, toads, newts and slow worms to field mice, hedgehogs and many different species of birds and insects. But allotment sites are under threat as never before. When allotments disappear, often wildlife disappears with them and these precious habitats are lost forever. Many varieties of plants thrive on these sites, which contribute to the bio-diversity of the area and they also provide vital habitats for many species. Many good allotment sites have special areas which are left virtually untouched allowing wildlife to thrive.

All is not lost there are things that can be done to reverse this ever increasing problem and your support is vital.