Judgment reserved after hearing into plan to turn allotments into sport pitches

Judgment has been reserved this week in a legal challenge to Kirklees Council’s plans to use allotments for sports pitches for a new school it is building on neighbouring land.

The case, which was heard today (18 March) at Leeds Combined Court, was brought by the Friends of Cemetery Road Allotments.

The group was group set up to campaign for the retention of the allotments and urban green space, “a place rich in biodiversity and vitally important to its longstanding inhabitants”.

On its Crowd Justice fundraising page before the hearing the group said that some of the plot holders had worked alongside each other for nearly 40 years.

“It is a vibrant multicultural, close knit community who have suffered terribly with an uncertain future over the last two years

Friends of Cemetery Road Allotments, which is being advised by FHF Consulting, added: “Our case will affect many similar proposals in the UK as the housing shortage puts pressure on councils to sacrifice urban green space and allotment land.

“We hope to prove this land is protected by law and that there should be greater effort to integrate this rich heritage into future plans.”

It said the allotments were set up in 1935 but the council had claimed they were temporary.