Allotments: green shoot of hope

A GREEN shoot of hope has sprung up out of the decay left by Henley's warring allotment-holders and parish councillors in the fonn of a new allotment and gardening club to serve the town.

At the beginning of the month allotment holders turned out in force to a meeting of Beaudesert and Henley Joint Parish Council to express their frustration and claim that councillors were no longer consulting with the Beaudesert and Henley Allotment Association on plans for the allotments, having made it clear that the council was the landlord and the allotment-holders merely tenants and "therefore no discussion was required."

The allotment association had been so incensed by the parish council's behaviour its officers-the chairman, secretary and treasurer-had resigned leaving the future of the association uncertain.

Last week, the parish council hit back at the allotment association's claims it had failed to listen to their views. On the contrary, said the council chairman, Cllr Les Goodman, councillors had spent hours of their time working on allotment projects and it was the allotment association which had excluded councillors rather than the other way around. This was according to a ready prepared statement read out by the council's chairman Cllr Les Goodman.

Now allotment-holders have taken the matter into their own hands and a new allotment and gardening club has been established. This follows a recent extraordinary meeting of the allotment association where it was agreed to wind it up and to establish a new club, Henleyin-Arden Allotment Gardening Club (HAAGC).

HAAGC is not only open to existing allotment-holders but also to anyone interested in vegetable, fruit or flower growing. And the new group is already forging links with the town improvement committee, which could potentially see more allotment plots in Henley.

The allotment and gardening club, which is free to join. already has twice as many members as the original allotment association. Residents are welcome to join even if they "grow their own" at home and would simply like to meet other like-minded gardeners.

While in an added triumph, the ex-allotment association officers were unanimously elected officers of the HAAGC.

Club secretary, Stephen Dorow, said: "All the members of the HAAGC seem very excited about the formation of the new club and I am sure that over the coming months, we will be able to generate many new ideas that will benefit all the members.

"For example, we have already approached the Town Improvement Committee and have. begun exploratory discussions regarding the possible provision of additional allotment! gardening sites in Henley with disabled access and other useful facilities.

"The Committee have welcomed our approach and are keen to develop ideas further. It is also refreshing to wotk with a professional organisation that is enthusiastic about improving facilities for Henley residents and which also shares our views on proper consultation."

Councillors had concluded at a meeting of the parish council on Monday 17th Augnst that there were just two options for moving the dispute between councillors and the allotment association forward. If the allotment association had disbanded permanently then the council would resume arrangements for communication with individual tenants. If the allotment association was still in existence the council would do all in its power to find new officers to run it.

Report by Philippa Prankard - Stratford Herald - 27th August 2009