Allotment company defends decision to build on meadow despite objections

An allotment company has defended the decision to begin controversial work on a 700-patch allotment site outside Abbots Leigh wood, despite resident objections.

Roots Allotments plans to create 700 allotment patches, and an 80 capacity car park on a 12-acre site just outside the village of Abbots Leigh, next to Leigh Woods, in what could be the largest commercial allotment in the UK.

But the company has come up against multiple objections from local residents, who argue the wider 24-acre site is a greenbelt area that should be protected.

A statement on the campaign’s Go Fund Me page said: “This would completely change the ecosystem: garden insect species would replace the grassland species that are essential for many woodland bats and birds.

“There has been minimal attempt to engage with the local community – or to understand the value of this landscape, to wildlife and people,” the statement said.

In March, Root met with residents at a public meeting to discuss their concerns about the project, but issues were not resolved.

On Monday morning, Root began preliminary agricultural work on the site, but were met by angry residents.

Residents filmed diggers arriving at the site on Monday morning – photo: still from a member of Roots Allotments Uncovered Facebook group

A spokesperson for Roots said they had made a decision to go ahead with the project, after taking legal advice.

“The deadline for North Somerset Council to respond to our application for a certificate of lawful use was March 23. On 4.01pm that day, the council asked for an extension,” they said.

“We agreed to two weeks, a deadline which was also not met. After taking legal advice, we are undertaking the necessary works to open the site as they fall well within permitted development rights for agriculture.”

Roots, which was set up by brothers William and Joshua Gay, and their friends Ed Morrison and Christian Samuel, have allotments in Avon Views and Tucker Meadows near Bath.

They insist the Abbots Leigh allotment site will bring much needed biodiversity to the area: “The land has been used to graze cattle and grow mixed crops and is classified as modified grassland with a primary function that is agricultural use,” they said.

“Allotments and food production are defined within horticulture which fit into the legal definition of agriculture.

“As part of our plans for creating allotments on the site, we wanted to ensure that we had a positive effect on the location’s biodiversity.

Diggers arrived at the site on Monday to carry out preliminary agricultural works – photo: Save Abbots Leigh Greenbelt

“We consulted local ecologists to understand the area and any wildlife that may be present and how we can do positive things to boost biodiversity.

Roots said the allotments will bring a number of benefits for the area, including planting more than 1,800 metres of native British hedgerow, introducing more native shrubs, establishing more woodland at the bottom of the site which borders Leigh Woods, and introducing bat boxes, beehives, newt habitats and hedgehog homes.

The brothers said they were “shocked” by the backlash they had received and emphasised the importance of food security and autonomy.

“If the UK is going to find a progressive way forward to create more spaces for food growing, then there must be more acceptance of growing projects on greenbelt land.

The Abbots Leigh site borders the A369 and the village of Abbots Leigh – photo: Google

“A majority of greenbelt land has been used for food production since time began and it shocks us to receive such a backlash from some local residents who simply don’t want a chemical-free progressive allotment site opening nearby, and who unfortunately do not consider the people of Bristol as part of their local area, despite living only 1.3 miles from Bristol.”

“We need to be taking steps forward into a progressive future rather than clinging onto old ways that paralyse us and farmers from diversifying, perpetuating a state of stasis and hopelessness within the agricultural sector.”

A North Somerset Council spokesperson said: “We have received formal requests from the landowner seeking to establish whether planning permission is required to set up allotments on land off Abbots Leigh Road (BS8 3QB).

“This has raised matters of legal interpretation, which we are investigating. Should the use of allotments start before the applications are decided, it would be at the owner’s own risk and we would treat this in the same way as any other alleged breach of planning control in accordance with our normal procedures.”

“Officers from our planning enforcement team visited the site on Wednesday, April 19, and the operators have been advised for work to stop pending the outcome of the planning applications. We will continue to monitor the site.”

A spokesperson for Abbots Leigh Parish Council said: “The developers of a massive proposed commercial allotment of 24 acres have started work on site without the necessary planning agreements with North Somerset Council.

“As you would imagine the residents of Abbots Leigh are very concerned.

“We are not opposed to allotments per se. It is the scale of the allotments for people who are not local, together with the huge amount of traffic it will generate coming out of an inadequate shared junction with the Forestry England Leigh Woods car park off the A369.”

Main photo: Save Abbots Leigh Green Belt

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