Campaigner Calls For More Allotments In Ladywood

9.17.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Sun 28th Jun 2009

Allotments are desperately needed for Ladywood

Local campaigner David Nikel has called on the City Council to provide more allotments for the people of Ladywood. The city of Birmingham has the largest provision of allotments of any local authority in the UK with over 7,000 plots. But there is just one solitary allotment in the entire constituency.

SIGN THE PETITION - http://epetition.birmingham.public-i.tv/petition.php?id=59

Birmingham Ladywood constituency has the highest percentage of families in the UK living below the official poverty line. When the recession struck, Birmingham Ladywood was the worst affected constituency in the entire country.

David Nikel said, "Bearing these facts in mind, is it not astonishing that there is just one allotment for the entire constituency?

"The benefits to families below the poverty line could be immense. Growing your own food is cheaper and the potential health benefits are huge.

"The Liberal Democrats have a track record of implementing allotment expansion plans in urban areas such as Islington and Sheffield. There is no reason at all why our Liberal Democrat partnership council here in the second city can't follow their best practice.

"Today I have written to the city council, our Liberal Democrat council group, the MP for Birmingham Ladywood and the Heart of Birmingham PCT to encourage them to consider allotment sites here in Ladywood."

You can now sign a petition at Birmingham City Council calling on more allotment provision for Ladywood by visiting this website - http://epetition.birmingham.public-i.tv/petition.php?id=59