House of Commons - Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs

Select Committee on Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Minutes of Evidence

Supplementary Memorandum by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (AL 23(a))

At the hearing on 25 March into "The Future for Allotments", I promised to write to you on a couple of issues.

The Committee requested further details of the new use of land which had formerly been used for allotments.I attach a revised version of our table which gives further detail where possible, although in cases where land has been sold we do not necessarily have up to date details of the new land use.

The Committee asked for any cases we knew of where six electors have written to their council to ask them to provide allotments. None of our Government Offices have any record of this happening, but of course there would be no obligation on local authorities to inform the Department that it had happened.

I would also like to take this opportunity to clarify what I said at Wednesday's hearing concerning objections received to applications for the disposal of land. I said that no objections at all had been received in the cases where consent has been given since May 1997. Since Wednesday we have checked again with the Government Office in each region. In all the cases bar one where the Government Offices have been able to confirm the position there were no objections—this is indicated in the last column of the table. In some cases the papers have been archive and the Government Office has not been able to retrieve them in time, and for these I am unable to confirm that there were no objections.

You will see that in one case there was one objection to disposal—on Littlecoates Allotments in Grimsby.This site had previously comprised 315 plots, only 183 plots of which were tenanted at the time of the application for partial disposal. The tenanted plots were largely confined to the right hand side of the site, and North East Lincolnshire Council wished to rationalise the site by relocating the few tenants on the left of the site to the right. The tenants will receive a substantial package of improvements to the site, and it was therefore felt that the one objection was insufficient to warrant refusal of consent.

Angela Eagle
March 1998

Applications to the Secretary of State for the sale/appropriation of statutory allotments (S.8 1925 Allotment Act)

Regional Office Local Authority and name of site Size Method of Disposal New use of land Application date Decision date How plotholders affected/objections received

GO-EM Wood's End, School Place, Corby BC 1 acre Appropriation Sheltered Housing for Elderly and Infirm 19.7.96 23.8.97 No plotholders displaced. No objections.

GO-LO London Borough of Sutton 4.14 acres Sale (Leasehold) Carshalton Athletic Football Club 30.10.96 26.6.97 No plotholders displaced.

GO-LO London Borough of Enfield 0.18 hectares Appropriation Public playing field with sports facilities 5.11.96 20.8.97 No replacement land provided.

GO-Y&H Abbeylands Farm Whitby TC 860 sq m Appropriation Car park 26.11.96 21.9.97 1 plotholder given replacement on same site. No objections.

Resubmitted: 280 sq m 28.7.97 3.10.97

GO-SW Bristol City Council 3 sites: 0.3 acre 0.5 acre 150 sq yds Sale Development and Gardens 29.11.96 19.5.97 Information not available.

GO-LO¹ London Borough of Sutton Sale Supermarket development 2.12.96 Pending Pending

GO-EM¹ Ashfield District Council 52,515 sq m Sale Commercial leisure use 5.12.96 Pending Pending

GO-NE¹ High Street, Towlan.

Wear Valley DC 1.20 hectares Appropriation Millennium Green Park Project 30.2.97 Pending Pending

GO-NE Primrose Hill, Stockton on Tees Borough Council 0.62 hectares Appropriation Open Space 14.2.97 14.7.97 Information not available.

GO-LO London Borough of Hillingdon 0.72 acres Appropriation Social Housing 17.3.97 11.7.97 Displaced plotholders accommodated on same site.

GO-LO London Borough of Hillingdon 0.75 acres Appropriation Social Housing 17.3.97 25.6.97 Displaced plotholders accommodated on same site.

GO-EM Overseal Parish Council 7,304 sq m Sale Residential development 7.4.97 23.5.97 No plotholders displaced. No objections.

GO-SE Burstow Parish Council 40 sq ft Disposal Garden 31.1.97 4.8.97 No plotholders displaced. No objections

GO-EM Langham Parish Council 1,480 sq m Appropriation Recreational Purposes 24.4.97 9.6.97 No plotholders displaced. No objections.

GO-NW Carlisle City Council—Peel Street 792 sq m Appropriation Recreational Purposes 25.9.96 7.5.97 Unused for many years. No replacement land provided. No objections.

GO-WM Much Marcle Parish Council 690 sq m Appropriation School Playground 22.4.97 25.6.97 No plotholders displaced.

GO-WM Wolverhampton MBC 570 sq m Appropriation Training centre for Council 10.4.97 9.5.97 Information not available.

GO-NE Harewood (Cornfield Road) Stockton on Tees BC 0.47 hectares Appropriation Open Space 10.3.97 26.6.97 No plotholders displaced. No objections.

GO-NE Harewood (Thornaby Road) Stockton on Tees BC 0.62 hectares Appropriation Open Space 10.3.97 26.6.97 Information not available

GO-ER Loddon Parish Council 231 sq m Appropriation Town Centre Enhancement 3.5.97 11.6.97 One plotholder moved within site. No objections.

GO-NE Dodmire, Darlington BC 0.35 hectares Appropriation Recreational use 24.4.97 15.7.97 Displaced plotholders accommodated on main site.

GO-YH Bradford MBC, Roundwood Glen, Greengates. 0.65 hectares Sale Housing 28.1.97 03.06.97 No plotholders displaced. No objections.

GO-WM Cannock Chase Council 201 sq m Appropriation Highway 19.5.97 10.7.97 One plotholder displaced to exchanged land. No objections.

GO-SW¹ Exeter City Council 277 sq m Appropriation Sports Development 30.4.97 Pending Pending

GO-YH Bradford MBC, Scotchman Road. 630m² Sale Gas pressure Reduction Station 28.05.97 22.07.97 No plotholders displaced. No objections.

GO-EM Heanor and Loscoe Town Council 1.65 acres Sale Gardens 23.1.97 24.6.97 No plotholders displaced. No objections.

GO-SE Newport Pagnell Town Council 2 acres Sale Sports Hall and Community Centre 8.5.97 5.8.97 No plotholders displaced. No objections.

GO-SE Mole Valley DC- Ranmore Road, Dorking 0.26 acres Appropriation Playground 9.6.97 18.8.97 No plotholders displaced. no objections.

GO-SE Rochester upon Medway-Albany Road, Chatham 3.56 acres Appropriation Millennium Green 26.6.97 18.8.97 No plotholders displaced. No objections.

GO-WM Redditch BC 300 sq m Appropriation Access/Recreational use: Council for Economic Development 30.5.97 17.7.97 No plotholders displaced. No objections.

GO-SE Chichester City Council-Florence Road 0.6 acres Sale Contaminated land—to be treated and used for recreation 9.7.97 18.8.97 No plotholders displaced. No objections.

GO-Y&H Abbeylands Farm, Whitby 280 sq m Appropriation Car Parking 28.7.97 3.10.97 No objections.

GO-SW Plymouth City Council-Daws Field 2.15 acres Appropriation Housing 29.7.97 21.11.97 No objections.

GO-NE¹ Egglescliffe Parish Council 330 sq m Appropriation Public Gardens 31.7.97 Pending Pending Vacant Land—no plotholders displaced.

GO-LO LB Enfield- Southbury Road 0.913 hectares Appropriation Open space 25.6.97 20.8.97 No replace land provided.

GO-YH Glassworks Field Site, Hunslet 5.2 acres Sale Contaminated Land. May be partly wooded 29.4.96 04.8.97 Relocated to 3 sitesר statutory, 1 non-statutory. All chosen by plotholders. No objections.

GO-NW¹ Blackpool BC-Leys Road 6,456 hectares Sale Residential development 23.6.97 Pending Pending

GO-ER Codicote Parish Council 2,136 sq m Appropriation Community orchard 7.7.97 12.9.97 No plotholders displaced. No objections.

GO-ER Harpenden Town Council-Pickford Hill and Westfield Road 0.201 hectares and 0.2604 hectares Sales Not decided at time of sale 12.8.97 16.10.97 No plotholders displaced. No objections.

GO-EM Bozeat PC-Allens Hill Northants 88 sq m Sale Private garden extension 14.8.97 31.10.97 No plotholders displaced. No objections.

GO-SW Weymouth and Portland BC-Church Knapp, Wyke Regis 1.9 hectares Appropriation Social Housing and Pubic Open Space 15.9.97 20.10.97 No objections.

GO-SW Sherborne TC- Lenthay Road 0.042 hectares Sale Primary School 18.9.97 20.10.97 No objections.

GO-SE Basingstoke and Deane BC— Churchill Way 4.41 acres Sale Hotel 25.09.97 30.10.97 No plotholders displaced. No objections.

GO-ER Feltwell Paish Council—Wilton Road 0.24 hectares Sale Residential Development 3.10.97 13.11.97 No plotholders displaced. No objections.

GO-L LB Sutton—Benhill Allotments 0.3056 hectares Sale Residential development 13.10.97 13.1.98 No plotholders displaced. No objections.

GO-NE¹ Barnard Castle TC 1032 sq m Appropriation Extension to cemetery 16.10.97 Pending Pending

GO-M Knowsley MBC— Lapford Crescent 1,000 sq metres Appropriation Gardens 17.10.97 12.12.97 No plotholders displaced. No objections.

GO-SE Maidstone BC— Upper Fant Road minimal Appropriation Conservation area 8.10.97 4.12.97 No plotholders displaced. No objections.

GO-SW Ludgershall Parish Council 3,382 sq m Appropriation Burial Ground 28.10.97 8.12.97 No replacement land provided. No objections.

GO-NW Bury MBC— Staemley Avenue 240 sq m Sale Private garden extension. 4.11.97 20.11.97 No replacement land provided. No objections.

GO-SE Maidstone BC— Glebe Lane 100 sq m Sale 1 residential dwelling. 20.10.97 4.12.97 No plotholders displaced. No objections.

GO-SW¹ South Somerset DC 7.5 acres Appropriation Community Woodland 7.11.97 Pending No replacement land provided.

GO-SE Maidstone BC Sandling Road 0.2026 hectares Appropriation Children's Play Area 4.11.97 16.12.97 No objections.

GO-YH NE Lincs Council Littlecoates site 3.84 hectares Sale Housing 31.10.97 10.12.97 1 objection—not considered sufficient to warrant refusal as all tenants, including objector, will benefit from Council proposals.

GO-NW Levens Parish Council South Lakeside 5 sq m Sale Garden extension 23.10.97 19.11.97 No replacement land provided. No objections.

GO-EM¹ City of Lincoln Yarborough Road 1.5 hectares Appropriation Open Space 21.10.97 Pending Pending

GO-SE Lodsworth Parish Council 155 rods Sales New Village Hall Tennis Court 4.1.98 9.1.98 No plotholders displaced. No objections.

GO-SE Bolton Road Winsor 0.2317 hectares Appropriation Play Area 4.1.98 27.1.98 No plotholders displaced. No objections.

GO-WM¹ Birmingham CC-Yardly Cemetery 4.13 hectares Appropriation of part of site Open Space Cemetery use 1.12.97 Pending 6 plotholders relocated within existing site. No objections.

GO-WM¹ Birmingham CC Part of Warstock lane Allotments, Billesley 0.64 hectares Appropriation of part of site Construction of bowling green by Whitebread 12.12.97 Pending 1 plotholder relocated on existing site. No objections.

GO-WM¹ Birmingham CC, Slingfield Road/Rednal Road allotments 0.96 hectares Appropriation of part of site Extension to open space 29.12.97 Pending One plotholder relocated on existing site. No objections.

GO-SW¹ Humberstan Walk, Lawrence Weston ? Appropriation BMX Cycle Track 15.1.98 Pending No replacement land provided.

GOL Duke Street, Sutton 0.926 hectares Housing (with vehicular access and parking) 14.1.98 6.3.98 Information not available.

GO-SW Longbarrow, Townsend, Bournemouth BC 6.5 acres Sale Residential development—may include social housing 30.1.98 4.3.98 Replacement statutory land 6.5 acres made available. No objections.

GO-M Higher Lane, Liverpool 3.17 hectares Disposal Housing 9.1.98 4.3.98 Displacement to adjoining statutory site. No objections.

GO-Y&H Clough Road, Clough Bank, Rotherham BC 0.44 acres Sale amd appropriation Some sold for property development. Some retained by council. 28.1.98 9.2.98 No plotholders displaced. No objections.

GO-EM¹ Monks House Lane, Spalding, Lincs. 4.82 acres Appropriation Distributor Road and residential use 16.1.98 Pending Pending

¹ Case not completed or full information on case not yet received. (Updated 27 March 1998) Total number of s8 consents issued since May 1997 = 51.

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