A SWCAA Committee Member from as expressed his concern about developments in how tenants are removed from their allotment plots in Newton Abbot in South Devon. He is particularly concerned by the fact that pennants appear to have lost their right of appeal against their expulsion and not told of the reasons why.

It used to be against the constitution of the Newton Abbot and District Co-Operative Allotment Association and seamed to be a betrayal of the obligation that the Council has to provide allotment plots under the 1908 Allotment Act.In addition to this the Committee member points out that expelled allotment owners are not being compensated for their loss as suggested by the 1908 and subsequent acts.

Our Committee member has written to Mr Richard Younger-Ross MP expressing his concerns and the MP has responded by writing to the Secretary of the Committee of Newton Abbot and District Allotment Co-Operative Association asking how it can change it's rules and evict a plot holder without claiming or demonstrating any breach of ten nancy regulations by that plot holder. The Association had been acting on advice from the NSALG (National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners). We are very interested to hear their response .

But see the General Topics forum entry: practical democracy