Page 63 - ALG Issue 2 2021

communities representing the best of village life, have made any housing a valuable prospect. District plans for housing already include approximately 10,000 houses in areas surrounding the village but had left some room for additional opportunistic development. It seemed that we were suffering from a repeat of history and were to be turfed off our fields.
The Cassington Allotments Association swung into action. A campaigning organisation was formed called Save Cassington Allotments. A petition
was set up on www.change.org. We contacted both local and national newspapers. We also wrote a form asking our villagers whether they rejected the proposed development and why and posted to every house we could find. We also put in a proposal to make our allotments an Asset of Community Value, to give us a right to buy the
land should planning permission be turned down and it was sold. The Save Cassington Allotments campaign gained immediate local and national recognition in newspapers, including The Times (Gardeners Dig in to Fight Palace Homes, 13th October 2020).
It seemed that photos of gardeners brandishing garden tools to fight off the Duke’s developers were irresistible.
Our petition on change.org not only has received more than 10,000 signatures but also many offers of financial support and advice. Returns to our survey indicate that the majority of Cassington villagers reject the Blenheim Estate development in any form. Concerns ranged from over-development, dangerous access to the properties, excessive traffic and overloading of
local infrastructure including drainage, sewage and even our local village school. In January our application for Asset of Community Value was accepted by West Oxfordshire District Council who recognised the allotments provide “a communal meeting place, space
for recreation, relaxation and physical and mental wellbeing”. Furthermore, they recognised the importance of the allotments in connecting green spaces of the village, the village green and the sports / recreational ground.
Cassington Allotments Association has won a few opening rounds of the battle to survive. Its fate will affect the entire village as a place to live. Yet we have not won the war. Blenheim House has only extended our lease until October 2021. We are awaiting a promised revised plan of development for further “consultation” with the village. We are in no doubt of the financial advantages
It seemed that we were suffering from a repeat of history and were to be turfed off our fields
and endless consultants that can be deployed against us in our fight. They have steam-rollered the residents of other surrounding villages and got their way with similar developments. However, we remain a highly self- motivated and committed group of individuals of diverse backgrounds which lend various skills to our group and we have the backing of our
fellow villagers. Our Parish Council are developing a Local Village Plan which will give us all a say in what development we want in the village and where (although so far Blenheim Estates have shown no inclination to become involved in this community effort). So, we look forward to our spring planting in the Green Heart of Cassington which this year takes on an added edge of anticipation.
Prof. Alex Rogers
Chair, Cassington Allotments Association
Envii SeaFeed
Rooting Gel
Take successful cuttings of your favourite plants all year round with an organic rooting gel that is as thick as treacle! Envii SeaFeed Rooting Gel incorporates a blend of ingredients, including seaweed solids and humic acids, to heal soft and hardwood cuttings whilst promoting new root and shoot development and preventing wilting in cuttings.
Available at www.envii.co.uk from only £6.99 with free UK delivery
A quality UK made
cat deterrent
Concept Research Limited has been proudly manufacturing Catwatch for 25 years. CATWatch, the Ultrasonic cat deterrent, is the only cat deterrent scientifically tested and approved by The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). When the CATWatch unit is triggered, the Ultrasonic bursts cause the cat to retreat and the longer the unit is in place, the more effective it is. It is
an innovative and humane way of banishing cats from your garden. www.conceptresearch.co.uk
Allotment and Leisure Gardener 63