Exclusive: From Carrots to Concrete? Havering Residents Say Get Your Hands Off Our Allotments! As Government Green Lights The Selling Of Allotments.

Is No Green Space Safe? Residents across the borough stand firm as government gives green light to sell off allotments.

Havering locals have sent a clear message to developers and the government : our allotments are not up for grabs.

In a move that has angered communities across the country, the Government’s latest “build, build, build” policy now allows development on allotment land if deemed necessary. But here in Havering, residents are refusing to back down. From Rainham to Hornchurch, green-fingered locals are standing strong to protect the borough’s much-loved growing spaces.

Councillor Jackie McArdle — who represents Rainham and also serves as Secretary of the Hornchurch and District Allotment and Gardening Society — has been leading the charge. Speaking to The Havering Daily, she said:
“I do not believe Havering Council and the HRA have any intention of selling off our valuable allotments and that they are firmly committed to safeguarding them across the borough. But we are living in a fast-changing environment, and this decision may one day be taken out of their hands.”

Jackie, who manages 15 allotment sites across the borough, has been working alongside the National Allotment Society for the past ten years to make protections stronger and permanent. She warned that while some allotments enjoy temporary protected status, it’s not enough:
“Village greens are now protected spaces — but only because they have been given a ‘status’. Four allotment sites in Havering still only have a ‘temporary’ designation. By changing the word to ‘statutory’, it would prove our commitment to safeguarding them long-term.”

Currently, allotments aren’t fully covered by Policy 18 of the Local Plan, which protects defined open spaces. That’s a loophole campaigners want to close.
“We need stronger protection for our thousands of members,” Jackie added.
“Now more than ever we need to save our allotments from becoming flats. You did it for village greens — please do it for our allotments.”

Allotments provide more than just food. They offer residents a vital connection to nature, community, and mental wellbeing. In a cost-of-living crisis, they also allow families to grow affordable fruit and vegetables — something that’s never been more important.

In response, a Havering Council spokesperson said:
“Havering Council remains firmly committed to safeguarding its network of allotment sites across the borough. Like our village greens, these cherished green spaces provide allotment society members with outdoor activity, but also play a vital role in supporting biodiversity and community wellbeing.”

But while Whitehall presses on with its relentless building drive, the message from Havering is loud and clear: hands off allotments and our green spaces!

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