Lockdown allotment wars: Let's make peace over a bit of noise – Helen Martin

ANOTHER conflict is emerging from the most unlikely root – allotments, especially those with housing nearby.

One near us has diggers and planters becoming cautious because neighbours are complaining about the noise of strimmers, mowers, gardeners’ cars parked, and the increased numbers of people working the land every day because of their work lockdown.

The allotment site has been there since 1917. The houses are relatively modern. And most people would rather keep allotments and vegetation facing them rather than risk blocks of flats instead. But perhaps attitudes change.

It’s very different for us. We live next to a cricket ground. Spring to autumn weekends have matches with the sound of bat thumping ball and cheers plus cars lining the road.

Summer weeks have extremely noisy summer training sessions for coaches and screaming, happy kids. The club has been there since 1866 and our house was built in 1936 but we only moved in 16 years ago.

During this lockdown there are a few, lonely players practising in the nets, but we miss the matches, the training sessions and happy environment it all creates. And we chose to buy the house.

Lockdown changes all our environments one way or another. It might take a long time for things to get back to as “normal” as they ever were or can be again.

So, let them strim, mow, dig and reap, and we’ll put up with depressing silence and an empty green space. Hopefully it’s just a temporary change and we have to be patient.

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