Allotment petitioners hope for 100,000 signatures (From Watford Observer)
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Farm Terrace allotment petitioners hope for 100,000 signatures
5:10pm Wednesday 13th March 2013 in News
By Ben Endley, Senior reporter
The Farm Terrace allotments
Campaigners seeking to prevent a historic West Watford allotment being turned into homes and a hospital are hoping their petition can secure enough votes to force a parliamentary discussion on the issue.
In December Watford Borough Council finally granted approval for Farm Terrace allotments to be used for the new health campus and 600 new homes despite long-running protests from allotment holders.
The plan has been publicly supported by both Watford MP Richard Harrington and the town’s mayor Dorothy Thornhill, who have both stressed the importance of incorporating the historic allotment into the redevelopment of Watford General Hospital.
But residents say they are not going to give up without the fight and launched a petition on the HM Government website which, if it secures 100,000 signatures, will prompt a discussion amongst MPs.
Campaigner Sara Jane Trebar said: "The petition on HM Government has been going for a couple of weeks and it has got almost 500 signatures.
"We need to get 100,000 signatures then it has to be debated in the House of Commons.
"We know Eric Pickles will be aware of this so the more people that sign up the more he will realise how big a following this has."
The group has also made a video to help promote their campaign.
Comments(6)
Mohandas
says...
5:56pm Wed 13 Mar 13
Mohandas wrote:I always knew an awareness of the past was important because it teaches what's to come.”
There is something about the battle over the Farm Terrace allotments that remind me of a poem – The deserted village by Oliver Goldsmith.
Lines such as ''Ill fares the land, to hast'ning ills a prey, Where wealth accumulates, and men decay.'' ‘How often have I loitered o'er the green, Where humble happiness endeared each scene.'' ''In all the silent manliness of grief.'' ''Where village statesmen talked with looks profound,’ ''The loud laugh that spoke the vacant mind.''
As we hurriedly build these ‘huge cathedral’ like structures, Lowry’s bold images of "matchstick men and matchstick cats and dogs" set amongst all the striking sanitised glass, brick and concrete landscapes devoid of butterflies and bees spring to mind. I always knew an awareness of the past was important becomes it teaches what's to come.
KAren Smythe
says...
8:39pm Wed 13 Mar 13
MarsLander
says...
9:01am Thu 14 Mar 13
I urge you to join the plain english campaign.
Andrew Turpie
says...
2:03pm Thu 14 Mar 13
KAren Smythe wrote:I wouldn't bet on it, there are some highly influencial people supporting this cause, which has seen quite a bit of exposure over magazines and social networking.
Dream on
Razor Sharp
says...
7:53pm Mon 18 Mar 13
MarsLander wrote:Why not go a step further and use text language.
Mohandas,
I urge you to join the plain english campaign.
Nothing wrong with a bit of culture. Makes a change from the usual moaning.
Mohandas says...
5:52pm Wed 13 Mar 13
Lines such as ''Ill fares the land, to hast'ning ills a prey, Where wealth accumulates, and men decay.'' ‘How often have I loitered o'er the green, Where humble happiness endeared each scene.'' ''In all the silent manliness of grief.'' ''Where village statesmen talked with looks profound,’ ''The loud laugh that spoke the vacant mind.''
As we hurriedly build these ‘huge cathedral’ like structures, Lowry’s bold images of "matchstick men and matchstick cats and dogs" set amongst all the striking sanitised glass, brick and concrete landscapes devoid of butterflies and bees spring to mind. I always knew an awareness of the past was important becomes it teaches what's to come.