It's National Allotment Week this week and the Brentwood allotment site reps, Ian and Steve, have been busy sharing the highs and lows of being an allotmenteer with the Guardian. This is what they've sent to the paper for online publication: Guardian Allotment Week Q: Tell us how your allotment has helped you, your family and/or your local community cope with lockdown and the pandemic* The immediate clarification by Michael Gove MP post lockdown that allotments were an approved form of exercise brought a sigh of relief to all our members and for many it quickly became apparent that allotments would be a life saver. We could maintain physical distancing without social isolation. After a long very wet winter when many sites flooded, we were now faced with bright blue skies and near total silence given the absence of aircraft and most traffic on the roads. With furlough in place and a general move towards home working eliminating the daily commute for many there was an upsurge in activity because of the increased time available. We have seen much more food and flower production than in a normal year. The success was such that we were able to hold an extraordinarily successful “donate for charity” event. See attached photos. We have also seen a remarkable increase in family activity on the plots which is really encouraging. Many more children are taking part helping with parents and grandparents – although ‘helping’ might be a euphemism for playing! It has also been an uplifting experience to witness the level of cooperation between members that adversity brings out. The inability to get plants and seedlings because of lockdown and the run on seeds at the seed companies has largely been met by active bartering and donating of excess seedlings between members. Question 2 - What have been the biggest challenges of tending your allotment during lockdown?* Speaking as a committee member for the Brentwood Horticultural Society I think the challenges have nearly all been regarding making sure all our members are kept safe. The mixed messages we have had from government have not always helped and we have found ourselves issuing clarifications regarding behaviour on the allotment sites and having to answer many queries ranging from insurance cover to holding bbq parties. The allotment is a very social place and we have needed to remind people that physical distancing is all important. Our membership secretary has been inundated with applications for an allotment plot – we now have perhaps one of the longest waiting lists in the history of the Society with many of the applicants living in newly built flats within the town. And our Treasurer is complaining that all the site upgrading projects (such as improvements to the water supply, the drainage and the maintenance of fencing and gates) that were planned have been put on hold because of physical distancing limitations on working parties. This is the first time I have heard the treasurer complain of a lack of spending! 1. For a long time we have been concerned for the long-term future of our allotment sites. 2. We have noted that some Councils right across the UK have been repurposing allotment sites for housing and other developments. 3. The Brentwood Horticultural Society has been pushing Brentwood Council since early 2017 to declare all sites in Brentwood to have statutory status which is a condition found in the Allotment Act 1925. This problem is replicated at a national level. To address limitations in the1925 Act we are proposing a change in legislation. 4. To support our case we have reviewed the Allotment Act 1925 and the 6 other main Acts that control allotment land. In addition, we have reviewed the findings of various Parliamentary Select Committee reports that have recommended changes to the current legislation, but those recommendations have never been acted upon by previous governments. 5. We are proposing using the findings from the Select Committee reports to underpin secondary legislation to support the 1925 Act. 6. We have discussed our proposal both with our local MP, Alex Burghart (who is also PPS to the Prime Minister) and with the national allotment organisations, the National Allotment Society and the Royal Horticultural Society, all of whom have given support and advice. 7. Unfortunately everything is now delayed because of Covid-19. (fb)

Congratulations to everyone who contributed to the "donate spare crops to charity" event at the weekend which was well attended. Plenty of produce was donated and the charity went away very happy. (fb)