10-08-2025
Allotments closing date announced amid dispute
The closing date for allotments which have been open for nearly three decades has been announced amid a dispute between owners and tenants.
The allotments next to Needham Market Football Club will be closed on October 11 after discussions between allotment holders and the operators broke down.
Needham Market & Barking Welfare Charities, who have run the site since 1997, confirmed that tenancies for the allotments will end at midnight.
The site will close on October 11. (Image: Newsquest)
This comes after the charity said it has been paying the core net running costs of the site without profit and Needham Market mayor, Terry Lawrence, said the site was "left to the weeds".
This led to backlash from Needham Market Allotment Holder Association (NMAHA), who said the comments were "one-sided" and talks broke down because the charity refused to grant them a lease to manage the site themselves.
Minutes from a Town Council meeting on June 11 also show that members from the association have requested the provision of new allotments to replace the site.
Secretary of the Needham Market Allotment Holders Association, Pam Rushbrook. (Image: Newsquest)
Pam Rushbrook, secretary of the Allotment Holders Association, understands that the land is in the process of being sold, but the charity did not confirm this claim.
She said: "In the meantime, the remaining plot holders are growing produce as best they can, which is not easy, given the hot and dry weather."
