Allotment holders in Great Ayton have hit out after discovering that the land they garden on has been placed up for sale.
Some say they only found out about the move after for sale signs went up at the Middlesbrough Road site, which has 178 allotment spaces that are rented by tenants from Great Ayton Parish Council.
The council said it had been informed by the land freeholder of the intention to place it on the open market and it had a rolling lease which renewed each year and would continue until terminated by either party.
Nonetheless amid growing concerns in the village, it has scheduled an emergency meeting in which a proposal to register the land as a community asset will be discussed along with a potential action plan, having erected a notice at the site explaining what it knows.
West Yorkshire-based property consultants Fordy Marshall is inviting bids for the ten acre allotment gardens site and, in a separate lot, an area of adjacent grassland on the edge of the village able to be used for livestock farming, with the guide price set at offers over £250,000 and £195,000 respectively.
It said the freeholder was selling the allotment site with the parish council lease remaining in place and essentially just disposing of their interest.
Director Christopher Fordy said: “We are not selling it for development, it has not got planning on it, what someone does with it in the future is up to them.”
Some in the village fear the land could eventually be turned over for housing, although this would be subject to various hurdles being overcome.
David Mason, an allotment holder for 15 years, said there had been zero consultation with allotment holders or residents and the erection of for sale boards “came as a shock”.
Mr Mason questioned why the parish council had not shared information about the sale earlier.
He said many allotment holders had ploughed significant money into maintaining plots, with some being retained for decades, and also stated a substantial number of pigeons were kept on the site.
He asked: “What are the plans for alternative allotment provision should the new owners decide to build housing?”
Neil Reynolds said: “As an allotment holder myself we only found out when the signs went up.”
He said legislation meant the parish council had a statutory duty to provide allotments in the village.
Mr Reynolds said: “Why don’t they [the parish council] just buy it as they may need to find somewhere for us to go?”
Dave Tate, who described himself as a concerned resident, said the events had provoked “strong feeling” in Great Ayton.
He said: “Some of our elected politicians and councillors are not concerned about this, but residents are.
“This should be protected for [the] local community [for] years to come.”
Comments on Facebook described the allotments as a “community hub” and a “lifesaver” during coronavirus-related lockdowns.
Richard, an allotment holder, said: “I first came to the allotments with my dad when I was three.
“I’m now 81 and still keep hens and grow vegetables, fruit and flowers.
“The allotments need to be kept for local people.”
The parish council said: “Any sale will complete with the parish council lease interest in place and this means that the allotments will continue to be available certainly for the allotment year October 2023/2024 and we hope well beyond that time.
“Ultimately, as has always been the case, the longer-term future of this land may change, but that would be subject to due process including planning and would take quite some time.
“At the present time the council are monitoring the situation and will engage with any new owners in the event of a sale going through and will communicate any new information as it arises.”
Parish council clerk Angela Livingstone said: “Councillors share the concern of allotment holders and are keen to work with them to see what can be done.
“An emergency council meeting is taking place to consider the matter.”
A further statement said the parish council had been made aware of the proposed sale on September 7 and set about obtaining further information to pass onto allotment holders and residents.
It said the council had sought advice from North Yorkshire County Council – as the local planning authority – “regards their position on the land being used for anything other than allotments or grassland”.
The statement said the allotments were currently used by more than 125 residents, aiding their health and wellbeing, and the parish council expected that the county council would not, if asked, grant any planning permission to take away the facility from the local community.
It was also noted that the allotment site was designated as local green space in a Local Plan for the area – a planning blueprint which guides development – offering it “significant” protection.
A blurb published online for the sale by Fordy Marshall said the allotment gardens were managed by the parish council and came in “various shapes and sizes and generally used for the growing of fruit and vegetables and other horticultural purposes by local residents of the village”.
It described Great Ayton as a “large and attractive” village and increasingly sought after as a prime residential location.
The property firm said its clients were seeking to dispose of the freehold interest on an unconditional basis and at “best value”.
It said: “Consideration will be given to proposals which offer overage/clawback linked to future value enhancement through variation in existing use planning and development, but the principal aim is to maximise sale receipt at this stage.”
Ownership of the allotment site is understood to be split between four different individuals.
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Mr Fordy said: “I can confirm that Fordy Marshall Ltd are appointed to act for the owners of the land at Great Ayton in offering for sale their freehold interest in the land.
“The current owners are private individuals and would rather leave me to represent them in regard to any commentary on the sale.
“[They] have not taken any steps to terminate the existing tenancies and have no intention of doing so.
“In short, they are selling their interest in the land subject to the occupational interests commencing as they are currently.
“There is no expectation, at this stage in any event, that the allotment holders will be required to vacate.”
Mr Fordy said his company notified the parish council of the planned sale and made available the accompanying details ahead of going to the market.
He said: “In that correspondence we did advise that my clients are open to offers and that would include the potential for the parish council themselves, or other interested parties to bid to purchase the land.
“As we have not been instructed to seek to negotiate a termination of the current leases – and as this is not the intention or wish of my clients – then we hoped that the parish council could convey this position to the allotment holders, with whom neither ourselves or our clients have any direct access to or contact details for.”
Mr Fordy said that “naturally the strategic location of this land on the fringes of Great Ayton will make it of interest to land speculators and investors who may see potential for future development of some sort”.
He went on: “Any such plans would not necessarily involve the loss of allotment gardens.
“All that being said, none of the land is currently zoned for alternative use or development in the Local Plan and any future development would naturally be subject to all necessary planning consents.
“Our marketing details make this all very clear and we have been careful to highlight current planning policy which would restrict development.
“Naturally things change over time and what is done in the future would be something a new owner or owners would need to contemplate and decide upon.
“To reiterate, that is not a route my clients seek to follow, and they are selling now as is their right, with no planning and subject to the status quo as far as the existing occupational leases are concerned.”
Be the first to comment