One of the most beautiful things in life is to sit under a tree listening to the wind sing its song of summer as fruit ripens, the sun glistening on the rippling leaves with birds singing in celebration of their haven and a home. Soon it will be no more, those will be memories of a bye gone era. It has been decreed that (on allotments) and every bough and branch must be a Lilliputian dwarf, no higher that two metres, silently stunted before any tree  ever has a chance to make music with the birds.


There is a sense, even a senselessness among some, that trees are to be tamed and allotment sites should have ten pages of rules instructing allotmenteers what they can do. The rules and red tape govern everything from the widths of paths to the size and shape of sheds. The Facebook page “Don’t lose the Plot” - liked by the Argus-shows that the allotment refuge, the sanctuary of many souls seeking solace from the hustle and bustle of the city, has the feeling of a boot camp today as the rules are being enforced with rigour and vigour.


In 2010 , to much anger and with little effective consultation, new rules were imposed on allotmenteers (   Ashes to Ash December 2010 ). There was uproar on the normally tranquil allotment sites and, as a concession to the swelling anger, it was stated that the rules would be introduced with a light touch , only for those allotment holders who were consistently difficult or antisocial, while none of the rules that trees should only be 2 metres would be retrospective.   

The article in the Argus (Friday 24 August) shows that 833 of allotment holders in Brighton and Hove ( over 300 on the Weald site), representing 30% so far and may rise to over double this( see comment below). It is not the usual 10 % or so, that are deemed to be difficult. The majority of tenants on some allotment sites have been served with cultivation orders, where normally a quiet word or two should suffice, as few allotmenteers that I  know are difficult and antisocial.


Any allotment with a tree above “the absolute height of 2.5 metres (8 feet)” received a notice that the allotmenteer was in breach of the rules. There was an insistence that the trees should be cut down to size within a month, even though for most trees it is very bad practice to prune now.


Many hundreds of people have objected to these notices, some have mitigating personal circumstance;- near my plot one neighbour has just given birth to a baby girl while another’s husband has recently died. There was a lot of distress among honest hardworking allotmenteers at the disproportionality of all of this, one commented that this was spoiling what was left of a foul weathered summer.


Others, like me, objected to the Council’s Allotment Officer on the interpretation of the rules. I objected strongly to the retrospective interpretation of the rule on the height of the trees that were on my organic allotment, they shaded only the roadways and my own plot.    There are apples for all tastes, some of them are rare trees with a historical Sussex connections. Ironically they are all shaded by two mature 20 metre Ash trees that have been there since time immemorial.


It’s not an easy job being a new Allotment Officer, needing to understand all the complexities and the community. To his credit he consulted the Allotment Federation (BHAF) and replied graciously:


“I must admit to having been unaware of the understanding reached in 2010 that the Allotment Rules would not be retrospectively enforced.  At a liaison meeting with the BHAF committee last Tuesday the circumstances leading to that understanding were recounted to me.   Please accept apologies for any concern caused and for the brevity of this response……”


This is an important issue of principle that needs to be widely known. The 2010 rule on fruit trees will not be implemented retrospectively.


Others have said to me that sensible rules should encourage fruit trees to be planted in the future , if they are well managed, positioned sensitively, and kept to 5  metres. 

May be then the soft songs of the trees can be enjoyed by all and the feasts of fruits can be shared by many.


Any views on the rules?  Tree rules OK?

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