Plot holders must leave city's oldest allotment

Coombe Down Allotments were opened 130 years ago

Gardeners at a city’s oldest allotment site have lost a campaign to save their plots and must leave the land by October next year.

The Combe Down Allotment opened in 1894, but the landowner has now served notice that the long-term lease will terminate in 2025.

Bath and North East Somerset Council attempted to buy the land in a bid to save the site.

The council said all requests to meet with the landowner had been declined via a solicitor and plot holders were sent notice to vacate last week.

Councillor Tim Ball, cabinet member for neighbourhoods said: “We are extremely disappointed to have to send a notice to quit to our allotment holders.

“This is not the outcome the council desires. Our preferred option is the purchase of the site, which we will continue to work towards in our negotiations with the landowner.”

The 64-plot site was originally set up for the city’s miners, to help them feed their families, according to the Bath Allotments Association.

It is a statutory requirement to give plot holders 12 months’ notice to terminate an allotment tenancy, the council said, which is why they have another year on the plots.

Bath and North East Somerset Council wants to buy the allotment

Campaign group Save Coombe Down Allotments posted on Facebook: “We will not give up hope that something can be done to save this historic allotment site.

“We have no idea what the landowner is planning to do with the site if nothing can be done to prevent the eviction happening.”

Mr Ball added: “We have requested meetings with the landowner to understand why he wants the council to vacate the land.

“Unfortunately, all requests to meet have, to date, been declined through his solicitor.”

But he added that the site had been successfully nominated to be added to the council's list of Assets of Community Value (ACV).

The owner is still free to sell the plot to any buyer of their choice, but now it is a designated ACV they cannot do so without notifying the council.

This can delay the sale, and give community groups and other prospective buyers the chance to put in a counter offer.

The landowner has not responded to previous requests for comment.