Stop the proposed closure of Farm Terrace Allotment in Watford
The outline planning in 2007 of the Health Campus in Watford excluded the closure of this allotment. A change has taken place and this historic (1896) terraced allotment is now in danger
West Watford & Oxhey Garden & Allotment Society
Gerry Barker
shared this idea
280 comments
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Roger Reading
commented
Was the move by the Mayor a legal one or has she flouted the rules by going direct to a decision without a discussion. Personally I doubt she has any morals. At a time when the government is urging us all to be more active, she is closing the door, and consigning you all to a gradual decline in health, and to costing the NHS more in care and health. Shame on her. I bet she could do with an allotment of her own. Roger. (Harrow allotment holder).
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Janebfc
commented
These allotments are synonymous with Watford and with the football club! Burnley must have been the first team to play away at Watford when they opened their new stand because some of us still clearly remember - with amusement - being ushered along the edge of the allotments to our new designated stand. Indeed we were so amused we started up a rendition of "Tiptoe through the tulips". Putting houses so close to the ground is asking for trouble policing games, managing traffic on match days etc etc; in addition to the travesty of closing allotments at a time when I thought we were trying to encourage people to grow more!
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Goose
commented
I am amazed to hear that ‘Farm Terrace allotments’ are being threatened with closure, with 60 houses to go in its place. What a sad thing to happen, I seriously hope it does not.
I would not like to be remembered for doing such an act. You certainly would be remembered, not in a good way.
Farm Terrace allotments has I believe been in existence since 1896. Please do not replace this community open space. Allotments bring health and joy to all types of people in the community. Usually healthy law abiding people stem from such places. This needs to be encouraged!
Have sent an Email , Will write as well -
Anonymous
commented
The government should be funding the NHS needs from our taxes. Building hospitals is not a borough council responsibility - they should not be disposing of very useful facilities that ARE their responsibility, in this case allotments, to fund a new hospital.
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Olivia Phillips
commented
Allotments are a part of our cultural history, another poorly placed,poorly built housing project is a poor replacement.
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Anonymous
commented
Imagine hundreds more cars in the area
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Anonymous
commented
By building, building, building, we are causing so many problems, ie blocking the water seepage. No wonder we are suffering from droughts and flooding! We need to keep open areas such as allotments, sports fields and parks
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Laura Keenan
commented
Allotments are all that are left to us of common land in many towns and cities. They are a precious resource; not only providing healthy food and recreation but allowing the continuation of land based tradition in places where many are unable to find or afford a garden. What price the skills of the allotment holder? Of what worth is the knowledge forged in generations of working together, harvesting together, sharing among these communities the joys and pains of this peasant culture. Peasant? Yes, because these skills and traditions are fostered and held dear in every other country and peasants are what this country needs more not fewer of. To close or sell off allotments is short-sighted and foolish, at the very least the culture of allotment holders is one of mutual respect and aid, of communication, persistence in adversity and Oral culture (many are the books but the font of real knowledge is the old guy on the next patch). Would we diminish or eradicate values such as these. The thin end of the wedge is poking it's greedy nose into the Allotments of Watford.
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Anonymous
commented
Councils should be creating more allotments not closing them down!!!
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Anonymous
commented
West Watford is already overcrowded and gridlocked.
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Matt Turmaine
commented
Farm Terrace allotments provide Watford with a community focus, healthy exercise for the allotment holders and tasty, organic produce for those who grow their food there and those who eat it. The threat to the allotments from the Lib Dem council's development proposals ignores that the previous Labour government was going to fund the hospital. The mayor and the MP should be demanding the government fund the hospital, not agreeing to the developer plans to build on them.
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Anonymous
commented
Good luck
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Barbara Bennett
commented
It would be such a shame to closes these allotments - their benefit extends beyond the immediate area. One of my friends and colleagues is an allotment holder as is his father so their tenantship goes back some considerable time. Apart from the enjoyment they get from tending their allotment, they reap the direct benefit of providing a large part of their food resource from this allotment, not to mention the fact that surplus produce is sold by them to raise money for charity and seeds and plants are given to others to propogat their own supply of vegetables and fruits. Given how little this space will contribute to new housing, it seems a travesty to deprive people of produce and in some cases, their own bit of green space.
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Anonymous
commented
Allotments are magical.So full of life.Human life,plant life,wildlife.No one should let councils rip them up for soul less flats that only attract traffic,crime and pollution.Who could sit back and watch as the trees are cut down and all that history and love is flattened to make way for concrete?
If the mayor likes new builds,perhaps she wouldnt mind her own garden being built on,as gardening isnt her thing,the space is wasted on her. -
Anonymous
commented
It took us 3 years to get the council to agree to help us set up our allotments, I can only speak of the great pleasure its brought , 3 years on. They should be a priority to set up, not first in line to be cut.
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Anonymous
commented
There has to be a VERY good reason to destroy allottments which give such pleasure, deliver such physical and psychological health benefits and provide us with REAL food and it does not seem to me that the reasons in this case are way good enough. Think again, Watford Council.
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anna doggart
commented
it is terrible that any allotment should be built on. Allotments provide so much. A place to grow your own food which is good for health and good for exercise. It gives people a reason to get out of the house and not become depressed, somewhere to meet other people and build a sense of community, a place to teach their children about where food comes from and how to grow, a connection to peole which is often life long ~ I know of people now too frail to garden whose old neighbours from the allotment still come and visit and bring them produce, and it makes many people feel happy even though they have little money. We should be encouraging people to grow their own food and then cook it for these and many more good reasons. We should not be taking away the little that people have.
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Caro Shrives
commented
Enlightened educators over the years have recognised the benefits of "forest schools", i.e, learning outdoors. For classroom bound children and office bound adults being able to work an allotment teaches so much and allows us to reconnect with nature. Government should be creating MORE allotments, especially in urban environments, not destroying the precious resources we have. It has been shown time and again that gardening goes a long way to reducing social ills and building communities - why destroy any hope of continuing this in the future. I hope that the politicians are made to see sense before it's too late.
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Mary
commented
Is nothing sacred in this country anymore? Every time we lose allotments or play areas or fields we are subjected to the propaganda that they are needed for the better good of the wider community, but at what cost? These actions dilute the quality of life for all of us and for our children and grandchildren. There are so many empty office blocks, so many empty trading estates...why not tear these down and build on land that has already been spoilt. Perhaps if more people (especially those in high rise or deprived housing) had access to allotments we wouldn't need more hospital beds....we need more allotments not less. To those given the responsibility and privilege of making the decisions, please think very deeply before you agree to an irreversible mistake.
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Anonymous
commented
Allotments are part of our heritage. My grandfather had one, I would love one and I would like my daughter to eventually have one. Thanks to councils stealing land is this way, allotments are disappearing. This is going to have such a negative environmental impact and will affect the quality of so many people's lives. For many, this is their one passion and joy in life and it's tragic to take this away. We should be encouraging people to grow their own produce and to take pride and pleasure in this.
