STOP OUR UNFAIR GARDEN EVICTION!

  • by: Karen Meadows
  • recipient: Jeremy Dawson, Director, Strutt & Parker - Stamford

On 25 March we were served notice out-of-the-blue to quit our beloved allotment garden. We have been given no explanation, no right of appeal, and no offer of compensation, and the land agent, Strutt & Parker LLP, refuses to discuss the matter. There is currently no legislation to prevent this completely unreasonable action. SEE UPDATE OF 11 MAY AT FOOT.

Over the past six years we have restored our historic plot in central Stamford from a bomb site back to the lovely garden it once was, rejuvenating the many heritage apple trees, recreating the Victorian vegetable patch, planting herbaceous borders, and replacing the derelict sheds. We have invested thousands of pounds and countless hours in this labour of love, which is also enjoyed by the many walkers who use the adjacent footpath.

· We have never defaulted on the rent.

· We have never breached our tenancy agreement.

· We have never been the subject of a complaint.

No other tenants have been served notice and it seems we are being singled out for two 'crimes':

· Publicly supporting elderly and vulnerable gardening neighbours who were forced off their plots by draconian rent increases.

· Asking the land agent to limit bonfires on the gardens, especially during the current pandemic, to enable gardeners and walkers with respiratory health problems to enjoy the area safely. This request is in line with South Kesteven District Council's guidance.

We demand that Strutt and Parker LLP, the land agents who act for the owners, The Cecil Estate Family Trust (CEFT), withdraw the eviction notice. 

You can learn more about our garden at www.waterfurlonggardens.com   and follow the progress of our campaign on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and through our blog The Plot Thickens.

Thank you so much for your support.

Karen Meadows and Julia Baker

Plot 15, Waterfurlong Allotment Gardens, Stamford, Lincolnshire. 

      

NEWS BULLETIN

After six weeks, pressure from everyone who has signed this petition, and letters from Tom Pursglove MP, and Stamford Town Council, Strutt & Parker has finally responded to our request for an explanation:

"I can confirm that the Landowner took this difficult decision following reports from a number of local residents and gardeners who raised serious concerns about your conduct and behaviour towards them and others, which was affecting their quiet enjoyment of their property."

Strutt & Parker has provided no further details of these vague, damaging, and frankly bizarre allegations, which are complete news to us! We have written back asking for proper information, supporting evidence, and the reason we were never told about these 'serious concerns' or given a warning.

We have reminded Strutt & Parker of incidents involving other tenants that included violence, physical threats and/or police involvement and asked:

  • What on earth we can have done that involved worse 'conduct and behaviour'.
  • Why no-one else has ever been evicted.
  • Why we have been given a full year's notice when we supposedly represent such a threat to others.

My daughter and I are two 5' tall women with unblemished personal and professional reputations. Neither of us has even had a speeding fine. The wonderfully supportive (and often outraged) comments from signatories who know us speak for themselves.

We have been shocked to hear similar stories from up and down the country: allotment tenants (often female) evicted without explanation, eventually told it was because of their 'disruptive' behaviour, then bullied and intimidated until they were too scared to remain. In almost all these cases the plot that had been lovingly transformed was handed over to a friend of someone with influence or sold off for housing development.

This is feeble, Strutt & Parker. Your parent company's published values include fairness, transparency, openness, and promptness. So do the right thing and provide full details of these supposed allegations, explain why they warrant eviction, and grant us an appeal. It can't be that difficult.

Karen Meadows 11 May 2021

 

 

Update #31 years ago
Despite all your fantastic support, we were evicted on 31 March, still with no explanation. The agent even tried to continue billing us for rent.

Sadly, provided a year's notice is served, eviction without reason from a privately rented allotment or garden is currently legal. You will have your own view on whether it is moral.

You can read more at https://www.waterfurlonggardens.com/theplotthickens.

Thank you so much for trying to help us - we have been bowled over by people's kindness.
Update #22 years ago
After 6 weeks and pressure from our MP, Town Council and everyone who has signed our petition, we have finally received a reply from Jeremy Dawson, Director of Strutt & Parker, Stamford. His 'explanation' leaves us more confused than ever. We have posted a more detailed update at the foot of the petition and on our blog, https://www.waterfurlonggardens.com/theplotthickens. PLEASE DO KEEP SHARING THE PETITION - we deserve proper information and a right of appeal. Thank you!


Update #12 years ago
We just had to send a message to each and every one of you who has signed our petition to thank you from the bottom of our hearts! đź’š We chose 10,000 as an audacious and rather arbitrary figure, never imagining that we would realise it in less than two weeks! With no response from the land agent and many people sharing similar heartbreaking stories, the fight goes on - see our new blog post for more details. If you are on Twitter, please do RT from @our_orchard to help reach a wider audience.

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