A message of reassurance is being sent to 700 allotment holders who have all received council notices to quit their plots.

The worried gardeners are being told: "Carry on digging - the vast majority of allotment tenures are safe."

Thurrock Council sent out the notices at the beginning of October as part of an initiative to rationalise the allotments service, saving thousands of pounds a year and putting idle land to better use.

It said they were only a precautionary measure to allow full flexibility when changes were made.

But the move was greeted by a barrage of protest. Allotment holders were anxious they might have to give up plots convenient to their homes and in which they have invested years of work to get growing conditions right.

One of the councillors involved in the rationalisation initiative, Mike Canavon, wants to ease their fears.

Mr Canavon (Lab, Ockendon) is assisting cabinet member Val Liddiard with the issue.

He said: "The vast majority of allotment holders will still be digging the same patch when all this is completed.

"We cannot give a 100 per cent guarantee. For instance, we have a site with 77 allotments where only two are being used. If these two allotments are on opposite sides of the site one of the users may have to move.

"But we see our allotments as an asset and would like to increase their use."

Every allotment holder in the borough will be receiving a questionnaire asking for their opinions and a meeting between the council and representatives of allotment associations and has been arranged for November 13 at the Civic Offices, in New Road, Grays.

Published Friday November 1, 2002

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