Binswood, Warwickshire: Allotments under Threat.

The Binswood Allotment Society promotes more sustainable living and ‘grow your own’, but these allotments are under threat from developers. Read more, and consider supporting the campaign to ‘ban the builders’ – sign the on-line petition.

Binswood Allotment Society was formed in 1920 as the Binswood Ex-Servicemen’s Allotment Society. The land was leased by the Council from the Percy Estate for all returning Ex-Servicemen from the First World War. Each person was given a plot, a pig and a load of manure, the plot was big enough to feed a family of four with fresh fruit and vegetables.

Since that time the allotments have been in continuous use by the Society, today having 117 members working 165 plots. Binswood, like a lot of allotment societies, has been in and out of fashion, but currently with the growth of organic foods, the need for fresh air and exercise, and a desire to get back to the soil, it has a waiting list of 30 people.

The Society sees itself as a ‘wonderful cross section of society, young, old, families with ancient and modern gardening methods happily being worked side by side, open from dawn to dusk, seven days a week’. Working on an allotment can be ‘a rewarding retreat from the today’s daily grind, especially at the weekends when, along with the bees, the whole place is buzzing’.

However, this could all change, as Warwick District Council considers amending its policy of protecting the Green Belt – to enable developers to build on previously protected sites – despite ‘brownfield’ options also being available. Builder George Wimpey has applied to the District Council to say it should be taken out of the greenbelt and redesignated as residential land. A Warwick District Council spokesperson argues that ‘a decision will not be made until December [2008] at the earliest and there are no concrete plans on the table at present’ – but the Binswood Allotment Society believes developers will lobby hard for the more attractive option of building on land presently used as allotments, rather than contend with the difficulties of brown field site clearance.

An on-line petition has been created for you to register your support.

The Society also has support from James Plaskitt , MP for Warwick & Leamington, who says ’...in respect of the campaign to save the Binswood allotments I certainly wouldn’t want to see them built on so all power to your campaign’

Leamington Wheelbarrow Walk
A Wheelbarrow Walk through Leamington is planned for the weekend of 28/29 June . Most of the local permissions have been granted – the plan is to get all the local allotment societies to join Binswood on this Wheelbarrow Walk to Save Leamington’s Allotments

Links
Binswood Allotment Society.
Warwick District Council Consultation.

What do you think?
Support allotments and encourage sustainable living, or is this just ‘nimbyism’?
Gug believes allotments should be supported, and there are other options for sites for the District Council to build much-needed homes in the area. Let us know your views: email us your comments by using the buttons below.

Other gug Allotment Features
GIY Grow it YOurself.
Fruit and Veg BTCV Style.

Comments
Hi there- could grownupgreen do something about whether opponents of eco-towns and wind farms are just NIMBYs or do they have a case? Here in Leicestershire people are getting up petitions about wind farms at Swinford and Kelmarsh and also about the Co-ops proposed eco-town near Houghton on the Hill. Jill
grownupgreen editor: yes, we’ll be following up Jill’s suggestion and will feature these debates on gug in the future.

Thanks to members of the Binswood Allotment Society - 14/06/08

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