Leatherhead residents organise to save historical allotments

2020-02-09

Local residents are organising to save historic allotments in Leatherhead from being sold off to large housing development firms.

Photograph from Leatherhead Poor’s Allotments social media post.

“Now I have set out and do hereby set out allot and award unto the said Churchwardens and Overseers of the poor, to be held by them and their Successors in trust for the Labouring poor of the said Parish of Leatherhead” — Leatherhead Inclosure Award, 1865

The Poor’s Allotments on Barnett Wood Lane were established in 1865. They followed a wave of social movements and laws in the nineteenth century to provide growing spaces to feed poorer communities.

Map showing original allotment site from 1865 Leatherhead Inclosure Award.

The land that they are on has been recently listed as one of the proposed housing development sites as part of the council’s Future Mole Valley plans.

Proposed development area around Barnett Wood Lane Allotments in Leatherhead.

To protect this socially and historically important site from being sold off, local residents are currently organising to gather support to designate the allotments as an “Asset of Community Value” (ACV).

This would draw on 2011 laws to make it harder for the site to be sold off, if the residents can show evidence that it “furthers the social wellbeing and interests of the local community”.

At the time of writing there are over 60 letters that have been sent in support of the site. The deadline for sending letters is this coming Friday 14th February.

This is not the first time that residents have fought to save the allotments. The recent campaign builds on previous efforts to have the site recognised as a community asset in 2013 and 2015, amidst claims the land would be sold off to multimillion-pound development firm Barratt Homes for a reputed £21m.

In response residents highlighted the potential health effects of building new housing in the immediate vicinity of the M25 as well as environmental impacts on green belt land. The campaign has widespread support amongst residents’ associations, environmental groups and many others.

“The land has been worked and enriched by generations of allotment holders keeping the soil fertile and free of contaminants. There is no alternative comparable plot of open land in the vicinity suitable to replace this local asset or the biodiversity that it supports.” — Surrey Branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE)

“The fields either side of Barnett Wood Lane are essential ‘wildlife corridors’ providing a vital habitat for wild animals and birds. Each of these fields, including the Leatherhead allotments, supports a huge and diverse range of wildlife. We understand from the allotment-holders that there is even a badger sett on this site, and the presence of badgers should be enough to stop the development in its tracks. Why aren’t MVDC considering the environmental impact of what they are proposing? Building on these fields will do untold damage to the natural ecology of the Leatherhead area.” — Wildlife Aid Foundation

Recent research has suggested that allotments may bring widespread social and environmental benefits. Allotment soils have been found to be significantly healthier than farmed soils, according to a 2014 study from the University of Sheffield.

The University of Sussex worked with citizen scientists to explore the productivity of allotments, finding them to harvest an average £550 of food per year. A recently published article from the University of Bristol suggests that allotments are pollinator “hotspots” due to their high diversity of insects.

In addition to their agricultural and ecological potential, other studies have emphasised their social, cultural and psychological benefits, including “to shape lives and encourage social integration”. A 2018 Welsh government reports suggests allotments may contribute to “happier, healthier and more sustainable lives”.

With only days left to renew their status as a community asset, residents have been busy gathering evidence ahead of the 14th February deadline. Once that is done the next hurdle will be to ensure a strong community response to the “Future Mole Valley” consultation before 23rd March 2020. While there are significant challenges ahead to protect the site from being sold off to developers, it looks like residents will not be letting go easily of their hard-won allotments.

You can follow the campaign to save Poor’s Allotment on Barnett Wood Lane on Twitter and Facebook. Further details on the planning application can be found on the Mole Valley District Council website. To support them you can write to planning@molevalley.gov.uk quoting the reference number “MO/2019/2224”.

More details about allotment movements past and present can be found at: