Navigation:
DIOCESE OF OXFORD THREATENS TO SUE GARDENERS IN BID TO DEVELOP HISTORIC ALLOTMENT
UPDATED PRESS RELEASE AUGUST 17,2005THE Diocese of Oxford’s is threatening to sue gardeners who are fighting to preserve one of the oldest allotment sites in England.
The Diocese has strong environmental policies and aims to reduce greenhouse gases, the bishop of Oxford has an electric car, they have a carbon dioxide reduction policy, and close links to many environmental groups.
But its solicitor has sent out a strongly worded letter threatening to pursue them in court for costs and damages unless the allotment 'squatters' (they don't live there, but the church won't give them leases) get off the land at Launton, on the edge of Bicester, Oxon, by August 28.
Local resident Lawrence Webb has been leading the fight to save the allotments. He said: “The church is bullying us and threatening to ruin us if we don't give up our fight. Until now they have not written to us or listened to our pleas. We have support from the parish council, our MP, our MEP, the town council, Friends of the Earth, the Campaign to Protect Rural England and even Monty Don, but they won't even talk to us, except to threaten us.”
The site has been an allotment since 1839, and academic Jeremy Burchardt, who has written books on allotment history, confirmed that they are one of the oldest in the country, and should be conserved for that reason alone.
He has written a letter of objection to the local planning authority, Cherwell District Council, and Lawrence Webb has collected 130+ more letters objecting to the church's application to get outline planning permission for business units on the site.
Until April, when the five 'squatters' were first told to get off, there was not even a sign stating who was responsible for the allotment. Since the campaign started many more (20-30) have expressed an interest in having a plot on the site.
Dad-of-two Lawrence, 36, said: “They originally said we couldn’t stay because it was on the local plan for development but that was in 1996. A few years ago they put a conservation order on RAF Bicester which is nearby, which changed the local plan dramatically – now the policy seems to be 'don't built outside the ring road'.
“The church claims to be environmentally conscious, but concrete, as used in building, produces far more CO2 than allotments – we could have a small woodland area here if it would help their carbon reduction plan, but nobody will even discuss it with us.
“We are extremely upset by the church’s plan to destroy the allotment. If they go ahead it shows that their concerns for the environment and the community, are hypocritical.
“We haven’t given up yet – we believe the people of Bicester and Launton are behind us on this one, and want their support to show the church that we desperately need more allotments [Bicester plots are all full with long waiting lists, Launton has no other allotments] much more than we need more business units with their extra traffic, pollution, noise and fumes.”
ends
More information/interviews/pictures: Lawrence Webb: 07776197447 (M)
Notes:
- The plots date back to 1839 and were glebe land farmed by the rector and divided up so families could grow vegetables to feed themselves – one rector refused to let plots to villagers who went to chapel rather than church.
- In recent years as many as 44 plots were cultivated on the site, but a lack of support from the owners re security and a reluctance to publicise the availability of the site (one woman who was offered a plot last year said she offered to publicise the plots but was told ‘no thanks’ by Carter Jonas) has led to it returning to nature.
- The realignment of Skimmingdish Lane also affected a few plots, and plotholders at the time were convinced it would ruin the whole site, but it has not done so.
- The county council officer in charge of the site (Mike Collins) utterly refutes church allegations that development somehow spoiled the land for allotments or left it dangerous.
- He also refuted their allegations of a lack of access (there are four gates onto the site) and said the church’s land agent lobbied for one gate in order to ensure good access!