Tring Road Allotment campaign tries to stop cemetery plans

The Tring Road Allotment gardeners began a campaign to save their allotment after receiving letters from the Aylesbury Town Council revealing plans to reclaim the land for cemetery use.

Since the launch of an online petition which has attracted 1,706 signatures to date and media attention, allotment campaigner Arden Marshall announced the group had discovered an “interesting” document from the Land Registry Office.

A copy of the document seen by the Free Press appears to suggest the Tring Allotment land may only be used for allotment purposes.

Part of the document dated September 10 2004 details a covenant made between Aylesbury Vale District Council (the District) and Aylesbury Town Council (the Town).

It says: “The Town to the intent and so as to bind (so far as practicable) the Property hereby conveyed and each and every part thereof into whosoever hands the same may come and to benefit and protect the adjoining and neighbouring land (the Cemetery) belonging to the District and each and every part thereof hereby covenants with the District that neither the Town nor those deriving title under it will at any time either in whole or in part use or permit the Property to be used for any purpose other than as allotments.”

Arden said: “Do they assume we won’t be able to find out this information because they know people in this allotment are mostly elderly, vulnerable and computer illiterate?

“They were expecting a bunch fussy old duddies, which to be honest characterises most of us, but we do still have some functioning brain cells among us.”

She said the Town Council should not have sent the letters announcing their plans to evict the allotments if the covenant is still in place.

“I have a feeling they will try to remove the Covenant. We have a retired land surveyor among us and he said it would be interesting to know this,” Arden added.

Aylesbury Town Council was contacted for a comment.