I read with some interest Baroness Dorothy Thornhill’s recent piece in the Watford Observer about the Conservative’ stance on development.

I find it extremely patronising that Dorothy Thornhill has the audacity to claim that “Conservative ministers, MPs, local candidates and campaigners seem keen to DISASSOCIATE themselves from the practical impacts of their policies when it comes to controversial planning applications at local level.”

Dorothy Thornhill herself went out of her way to ensure that the development went ahead on our beloved historic Farm Terrace Allotment site here in West Watford despite not only extremely strong local opposition but also national support to save at least part of the original allotment site. The hypocrisy of these comments are not lost on me nor other residents who were seemingly misled.

We all completely understand the real need for a better hospital and substantial housing here in Watford but just this week we heard that West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust is looking at selling off a plot of land at Watford General Hospital because the land is potentially surplus to requirements. Now this may or may not be the part of Farm Terrace Allotments which had to be saved for future hospital development as part of the legal agreement to dispose of the allotments.

Dorothy Thornhill said time and time again land was needed for the hospital even going as far as saying to the BBC that it was “absolutely untrue” to say the hospital did not need the land.” (Cit) If it turns out that the hospital is in the position to sell any of the land on site then surely part of the allotment land could have been kept as an allotment site? At any rate the downright hostility that Dorothy Thornhill and her council demonstrated in refusing to compromise with the allotment holders to at least save SOME of the allotments definitely does not seem justified now.

At a recent Allotment Forum I hoped to put this question to our current mayor Peter Taylor (unfortunately, he did not attend the planned Q+A):

“As we know allotments were originally created to give people living in Victorian terraces with small backyards the space to grow their own food. Here in West Watford there is an ever growing waiting list for allotment plots and a planned massive increase in the building of mainly flats. Is there a plan to increase provision of allotments here in West Watford, the area of need, perhaps as part of these new developments?”

Let’s hope Peter Taylor will encourage allotments in future developments in densely populated areas along with much needed parking spaces. Wouldn’t that be a wonderful idea?

Sara Jane Trebar

Labour candidate for Vicarage ward and spokesperson for Farm Terrace