The Old Town allotment holders were forced off their land yesterday, just as Conservative Candidates are today claiming to have given them "strong support." First the Conservatives tried to steal credit for protecting our green belt - they didn't protect it, they did the opposite. The appalling (now withdrawn) daft Local Plan was a Conservative Local Plan which would have destroyed our green belt for a business park, a 1600 home housing estate and a travellers' site. Moreover, the Town Council in 2018 refused to oppose release of our green belt, when I stood up in the Town Hall and asked them. They only changed their minds in July 2019, with a public protest taking place outside the Town Hall! Too little, far too late and literally in the face of public protest!
Now, they are trying to steal credit for supporting the Old Town allotments. So, let me tell you about the Old Town allotments and who really has been working to save them (not the Conservative councillors).
I, together with my Beaconsfield Society colleague Michael Lischer, started work in February 2020 to prepare an application to list the Old Town Allotments as an Asset of Community Value because the allotment holders had been given notice to quit. I prepared a detailed questionnaire for the Allotment holders to compete, to collect evidence to support this application and I visited the allotments and discussed the application with allotment holders to make it as robust as could be. Erroneously we believe Bucks Council turned down the listing and so we set about working on more evidence for a re-application.
In November last year, I prepared the case to support the Old Town Allotments and submitted Solicitor's Instructions, prepared by me free of charge, to a top specialist planning barrister in London, to support our re-application to Bucks Council to list the Old Town Allotments as an Asset of Community Value. The Legal Opinion was submitted with our re-application for Listing as an Asset of Community Value. I am still waiting for Bucks Council to make a decision on the listing.
Whatever the decision on the listing, I have also written to Beaconsfield Town Council to request that they compulsorily buy or lease the Old Town Allotments. This is a statutory power that the Council has, where they are failing in their duty to supply a sufficient number of allotments. At the Town Council meeting in February, which was broadcast to the public on Youtube, the public was told that there was a waiting list of 58 people for allotments which would take many years to accommodate.
Here are the 2 letters I wrote to the Town Council:
You will see that I stressed the urgency of the situation and proposed action which the Town Council could take. I received no reply.
The allotment holders were forced off the land yesterday. So much for the "strong support for the Old Town Allotments" by our Town Councillors. As I say, look closely at the claims being made by Candidates - some just talk a good story of "working tirelessly." Please look at what Candidates have REALLY DONE, not just what they say they have done. Vote wise in May. Vote Wheelhouse for Bucks Council and Beaconsfield Town Council.
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