January 27, 2025
By Harry Mottram: In a cry to arms the allotment holders of Combe Down have appealed for supporters to raise £336 in order to start a Community Interest Company in the hope they can prevent their eviction in October. The landlord who doesn’t live in Bath has indicated he wishes to take possession of the prime site in south Bath on October 31st, this year by ending the lease with the Council who recently granted the allotments the status of an Asset of Community Value. However, the allotment holders have reported that the landlord is not engaging with the Council suggesting he intends to end the lease.
In a letter to supporters the chairman of the Friends of the Allotments wrote: “By now I’m sure you know that the Combe Down Allotments site has been granted “Asset of Community Value”. The Friends of Combe Down Allotments need to be ready for when the landowner wants to sell the allotment site. Therefore, we (TFoCDA) appeal to you for donation pledges to help raise funds to establish an incorporated company. Please help by emailing me your pledge donation by Monday 3rd February 2025. The landowner has given the Council notice to quit and that the site is to be vacated by all tenants by 31st October 2025. The landowner’s intention for the site is unknown and he’s not engaging with the Council.
“By creating an incorporated company, the company can own property and enter into contracts in its own right, raise and apply for funding that will allow the community to be proactive in buying the land. It is proposed to call this group “Combe Down (Bath) Allotments Community Interest Company Limited” or CD (Bath) Allotments CIC Ltd. A Community Interest Company (CIC) has an “Asset Lock” that cannot be removed. The Asset Lock is designed to ensure that the assets of the CIC including any monies are used for the benefit of the community. Governance would be by both Companies House & CIC Regulator.”
The site sits between St Winifred’s Drive and Monkton Combe School and has been allotments since 1895 with 64 gardeners working the land producing, flowers, shrubs, fruit, berries, herbs and vegetables. By an accident of history, the large allotment site at Combe Down has been held in leasehold since 1895. The site, along with the adjacent quarry and the Monkton School playing fields, is owned by a distant relative of the original landowner, who is not a resident of Bath. The site was originally procured by the Monkton Combe Parish Council to serve the workers in the Bath stone mines but, following city boundary changes in 1967, became the responsibility of Bath City Council. The Council has held rolling leases since that time.
The B&NES Allotments Association (AA) represents the interests of over 600 allotment users in the city of Bath. There are 24 Council run allotments sites, with over 1,000 plot holders and a waiting list for plots running into hundreds. The Council, the local MP and numerous supporters have been on the side of saving the allotments with petitions, public meetings and negotiations with the landlord – all to no avail so far.
To pledge support for the Community Interest Company email Chris Pearce at combedown@banes-allotments.org.uk
A petition to save the allotments has been signed by thousands of Bathonians. To sign visit https://www.change.org/p/save-combe-down-allotments
For more visit: The Bath Allotments Association: http://banes-allotments.org.uk/
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