Save Our Allotments!

I was horrified today to find a link on twitter to this article in today's Indy. The government (in the delightful form of Eric Pickles) wants to "free councils from the bureaucracy" of providing this statutory right. This right has already been eroded, by councils giving out smaller and smaller plots. The size 10 rods (253 Sq m) is not arbitrary but was chosen as it is the size needed to sustainably feed a family of four. Most councils now only give out half (such as my local council) or even quarter plots, making self sufficiency less and less likely. Worse is that this hits the news after the consultation has closed. I am a plot holder and I had no clue about this, and I'm guessing many others, and the 1000s on the waiting list didn't either. Both Landshare and the NSALG are campaging against this but why have we only found out when its too late? Why are these consultations not publicised more widely?

I guess I'll put in some late comments, but as the consultation is closed I'll write to my MP a) to object to this and b) to object to the way it seems to have been kept quiet. I hope some of you will do the same, after all they work for you.

As I read about this I was listening to the latest BMJ Podcast (easy to listen to for non-medics, honest!) all about the problems with the rising cost of food. The rising cost of food is hitting us in the UK too and I think the recent growth in the grow your own movement is partly a reaction to this - its a hobby that saves you money!

I feel odd talking about this, not least because we have decided to get rid of our allotment in the autumn. This was a tough decision, but when we got the allotment we were in a flat, now we have a garden, perhaps a quarter of the size of the allotment, but its handy location makes maintenance easier and through polyplanting I hope to be reasonably productive. I am worried about how I will grow my beloved curcubits, onions and potatoes which all take up a lot of space. I think allotments are one of the ways we will survive into the future, we need to keep fruit & veg gardening available to all in our society, and while I'll miss the allotment, I know I'll make two waiting list dwellers happy.