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Leamington allotment holders' battle to save their plots is being backed by some of the nation's best-known gardeners. Gold award-winning Chelsea Flower Show gardener Cleve West has signed up to the Binswood allotment society's Ban the Builders campaign which went live this week. Mr West believes Warwick District Council should be "ashamed" of themselves for including the 155 plots in option one for building 10,800 new homes across the district. The BBC Gardeners' World regular said: "Any council or developer thinking they can sequester allotments for development is guilty of a blatant act of greed. Allotments like Binswood have become a vital fabric of the local community where age, gender, nationality and religion are an enrichment and not a barrier. They contribute towards a healthier society where fresh air, exercise and organic produce are proving to be simple but effective ingredients in terms of well-being. Targeting allotments like Binswood for development is nothing more than short-term opportunism and should be outlawed. Any council even considering such action should be ashamed."
Mr West has also enlisted the support of Joe Swift, who recently appeared at the Gardeners' World Live show at the NEC, and both have vowed to rally the gardening fraternity nationally to fight the planners. Mr Swift said: "Today the 30 plus waiting list at Binswood shows that allotments are more popular than ever as people realise growing fresh food locally plays a vital part in a drive towards a more sustainable future. Take away allotments like Binswood and you are plundering Leamington's unique nature by destroying a heritage that has taken generations to evolve. Allotments like Binswood are priceless."
Allotment society members say the decision to earmark land in and around Leamington, Warwick and Whitnash puts almost a century of hard work in jeopardy. They fear council planners are "hell-bent" on developing the green swathe of land just to the north of Milverton after trying unsuccessfully to have it redesignated for residential land last year.
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