“Absolutely Disgusted”: Villagers Turn on a Diocese Over Plans to Build Homes on Allotments Tended by 97 Gardeners

• The Diocese of Coventry owns seven acres of allotments in Wellesbourne
• About 50 homes were proposed on the land used by 97 gardeners
• 130 villagers attended a parish council meeting on the plan
• The diocese said any application would depend on replacement allotments

Gardeners in a Warwickshire village turned on the Church of England after learning that their allotments could be sold for housing, Premier Christian News reported on 11 July 2017. The Diocese of Coventry owns seven acres of Victorian-era allotments in Wellesbourne, near Stratford-upon-Avon, where around 50 homes were proposed.

Ninety-seven people tend plots on the land, and about 130 villagers packed a parish council meeting to discuss the plan. Many were upset that talks had been held without them and worried that the village school, near capacity, and the GP surgery, described as at breaking point, could not cope with more homes. The district was planning for 565 new houses a year until 2031.

Terry Welch, a 72-year-old gardener, said he was “absolutely disgusted” and questioned the church’s motives: “Especially the church….do they want the money?”

A diocesan spokesman said: “Any application for planning would be dependent on suitable alternative land for allotments being provided, to which end the diocesan board of finance’s agents have already made contact with the Wellesbourne Allotments Association.” Gardeners, though, were reluctant to move after years spent improving their plots.

The dispute shows the double pressure on church landowners in England. Dioceses are encouraged to release land to ease the housing shortage, but land long used by the community, even informally, carries expectations. Communication matters as much as the plan itself.

In Jamaica, churches also hold land that neighbours farm, cross or use for recreation. Before selling or developing, a church is wise to talk openly with the people who depend on the land, offer alternatives where it can, and explain how the money will serve its mission. Doing so can turn a potential feud into a project the community supports.

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