| The Northumberland Estate have indeed prevented any vacant allotments from being let and cultivated for a long while - preferring instead a policy of 'managed decay'. Isleworth - like Brentford - is being 'developed' to within an inch of its life, these allotments are situated in the Riverside conservation area and have been used for over 100 years, so are important for local biodiversity as well as open space. The Duke of Northumberland isn't exactly hard up for a few bob - and wheels out the same old tired excuses for needing to build on this area. He said the same when he wanted to have his hotel, the garden centre etc. He has benefitted from S106 monies for maintenance to parts of Syon Park, plus the park/house are always in use by film companies, not to mention the various festivals held there causing traffic snarl ups. This as well as trying the same tricks up in his Northumberland castle, with the consequent uproar there too. Times have moved on, we are not the peasants of old, we do not live in a feudal fiefdom and we've had enough, and above all - we care about the area we live in. |