Liberal Democrats Condemn Allotment Sell-off

12.53.08pm UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 26th Oct 2006

"Labour's Allotment sell-off is an Appalling Decision," says Lib Dem Deputy Leader Cllr Paul Shannon

Manchester Liberal Democrats have criticised the Council's decision to rush to sell off for housing an allotment site at Edge Lane in Openshaw in East Manchester's regeneration area.

In a shock decision at Wednesday's Executive committee, Manchester's Labour cabinet overruled a request from the all-party Environment Scrutiny Committee to defer the sell-off so that Councillors could visit the allotments and receive an updated report from officials on the proposals. 

Manchester's Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Cllr Paul Shannon spoke out against the allotment sell-off at both Executive and Scrutiny Committees. He said: 

"This is an appalling decision. Manchester's allotments are the "green lung" of our densely-populated city. It is madness to get rid of allotments when there is a waiting list for allotment plots in the city." 

"The Council have deliberately run down and failed to promote this allotment site. Yet despite the Council's lack of interest, the local allotment society have recruited new gardeners and have exciting plans for the future. This is a cruel blow for them." 

The Executive cabinet refused to look at compromise proposals which would save part of the allotment; and refused to give a guarantee that every penny received from allotment sales would be spent on allotments.

Cllr Shannon concluded:

"This is unfortunately typical of how Labour's cabinet elite run the Town Hall. They don't listen to the other 86 Councillors, and they ride roughshod over the Council's Scrutiny process." 

"Manchester's green open spaces are not safe in the hands of this Labour Council. They are promoting unsustainable development in Manchester. Sadly, future generations will pay the price for Labour's property-development mania."

"Just days before the Day of Action for Climate Change on 4th November, Sir Richard Leese has shown clearly that he and his Labour Council don't give a damn about our environment." 

End 

Notes to Editor / Timeline: 

Manchester's ruling Executive Cabinet consists of 10 Labour Councillors led by the Leader of the Council Sir Richard Leese. Its decisions may be "called-in" for further scrutiny. 

Its September 2006 decision to sell-off allotments at Edge Lane in Openshaw was "called-in" by Liberal Democrat Councillors and scrutinised at October's meeting of the Environment Scrutiny Committee. 

The Environment committee, which is all-party but with a Labour majority, agreed at its October 2006 meeting to ask the Executive to defer the allotment sell-off so that Councillors could visit the allotments themselves. The committee unanimously asked for a new report from officials, as committee members were unhappy with factual errors in the original report. The Councillor in charge of Allotments, Cllr Mark Hackett, promised to recommend this to the Executive later in October. 

At the Executive committee on Wednesday 25th October 2006, Cllr Hackett went back on his word, and stayed silent. The Labour Cabinet unusually chose to reject the all-party recommendations of the Environment Scrutiny Committee. They refused to allow Environment Committee members time to visit the allotments or receive a fresh updated report from officials.  

The decision to sell the allotments at Edge Lane was re-affirmed and comes into effect immediately. The allotments are officially "for sale".

The Council will now apply to Government for legal permission to dispose of the allotment. The Association of Manchester Allotment Societies (AMAS) will vigorously oppose this application.