Allotment gardener is threatened with eviction after row over arbour seat
HE HAS BEEN ORDERED TO REMOVE UNAUTHORISED WOODEN SHELTER AND APOLOGISE TO COMMITTEE
A GARDENER from Carlton says he is terrified of losing his allotment plot after refusing to say sorry in a three-way row over an arbour seat he built.
Graham Beaumont built the wooden shelter at his plot at Robin Hood Allotments off Cavendish Road in the summer of 2022.
But a year later he claims he was asked to take it down by the allotment association. And, in the ensuing argument, he said he was told that a remark, which he deemed to be offensive, had been made about him by the committee.
He reported this to the committee, who investigated it, but they found no evidence of an offensive remark or bullying and told Mr Beaumont to apologise for his allegations.
But Mr Beaumont is standing by what he claims he was told and says he made the allegations in good faith.
As it stands, he was due to be served an eviction notice yesterday if he hasn’t apologised or moved the seat by then.
He says he intends to escalate the matter to Gedling Borough Council, who own the site but don’t manage it, if it happens.
The allotment association which manages the site said it wouldn’t comment at this time, but the individual accused of the remarks said the allegations were “false”.
He said: “I’m absolutely terrified that I’m going to lose the plot, metaphorically and physically. It’s been absolutely horrendous. Stuff doesn’t usually bother me but I am so down and distraught. I feel awful. It’s appalling and I’m devastated beyond words. When we got this plot it was a safe haven. Those comments have destroyed our happy place.”
Mr Beaumont says that he thought he was fine, amid planning regulations, to build his arbour seat in summer 2022, but emailed the committee to “double-check”. When he didn’t hear back, he said he assumed it was all right and went ahead with the structure.
The site lease for the Robin Hood Allotment Association says members agree “not to erect or to permit or suffer to be erected on the allotments any greenhouse, shed, growing tunnel or other structure without prior approval of the council, save for such structures complying with the council’s rules or regulations in force for the time being in this respect as notified to the trustees. The erection of any such structures by the members should be approved by the trustees.”
It stood for a whole year before he said he was approached by the new secretary of the committee at the time, who he claimed told him that the committee weren’t happy with it and that he’d have to take it down.
However, he claimed in the midst of the conversation the secretary referenced an alleged remark – which Mr Beaumont deemed to have been offensive – made by the committee about him.
Mr Beaumont initially emailed the committee and so started a chain of emails between himself and the person accused. Within the email thread, he alleged there were more remarks he deemed to be insulting.
Civil servant Mr Beaumont then wrote a formal complaint to the committee, with the committee assigning an independent trustee to investigate.
After the investigation was complete, the investigator told Mr Beaumont that she had found no evidence that an offensive remark had been made, but that she did think the tone of the committee member’s emails needed to be changed.
But when the report into the investigation was published, it made no reference to this within its recommendations, Mr Beaumont said.
Instead, it said that Mr Beaumont should apologise in writing for alleged wrongdoing, and set out a draft letter for him use as a template. But Mr Beaumont said the row had continued.
Mr Beaumont, whose original position was to refuse to apologise, still claims that he had made the allegations in good faith. As a result, he still refuses to apologise and says he will not take down his seat.
He has since reported the behaviour of the committee and their request for an apology letter to Gedling Borough Council.
The Robin Hood Allotment Association said: “The Robin Hood Allotments Association understands that Mr Beaumont has notified Gedling Borough Council of his intention to bring a complaint against the association. If Mr Beaumont does choose to make a complaint, it will form part of a live investigation. The association has no further comment at this moment in time.”