A man who’s been banned from a community allotment he lovingly cared for over 30 years has spoken out, saying he only wanted to spruce up the place. David Hamlet, 57, was gobsmacked to find his section at Clubmoor Allotments and Community Clubhouse chained up.
The plot, owned by Liverpool Council but committee-run, saw Mr Hamlet get warning notices about his plot’s upkeep, which he insists he managed well, aiming to keep the site shipshape for everyone. Now, after three decades of dedication, he’s barred from the land.
The courier driver, who’s battled health issues, returned to full-time work this year, leading to a less kempt plot and a written warning in March. A second warning followed over unruly trees and bushes.
In an effort to set things straight, he took time off to tidy up.
(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Come September, Mr Hamlet received a notice to quit, with claims that his mum had used foul language in the car park, he’d fly-tipped on his plot, and nicked trees and bushes from another plot. He refuted these accusations, stating: “I’ve known my mother all my life and I’ve never heard her swear.”, reports the Liverpool Echo.
He added, “I was trying to clear up the vacant plot next to mine to make it usable. I arrived at the site today and it’s padlocked.”
After three decades of tending to his plot, a Liverpool green-fingered gent has been turfed out from his allotment and he’s proper gutted about it. Mr Hamlet lamented, “I’ve been on here for 30 years and all I’ve done is try and make it better, I can’t see where I’ve gone wrong.”
Despite replying swiftly to a quit notice – four days into a fortnight grace period – he’s still barred from returning.
He recounted his plight: “I thought I’d put a good case across, I suffer with dyslexia so I had my nephew help put a letter together.”
A keen club member in the past, this ban’s not just crushing his spirit; it’s harming his health. He explained, “I have a skin condition that gets worse through stress and it’s come back with a vengeance. I don’t want to go back to work because of all this at the moment.”
When pressed for comments, the allotment committee passed the buck to Liverpool Council, saying, “If any plot holder has been told they cannot enter the site, then they will have been told this by Liverpool Council.”
A council spokesperson retorted the council keeps its nose out of membership squabbles but makes sure committees play by the rules.