As you can tell from this earlier post - Plonker/s of the year - the shortlist 24.12.23 - we were spoilt for choice when it came to making this award! The criteria were adjusted to include commercial concerns in the Avon region making complete asses of themselves as well as local and regional authorities, public transport operators and utility companies. Including commercial concerns wasn't the original intention but, when one of them has spent the last year exhibiting a staggering level of tone deafness and arrogance, it would have been negligent of us to have not widened the criteria. So, the 'plonkers of the year' award goes to:
Roots Allotments
Roots are a commercial allotment provider (backed by venture capital), operating and developing a number of sites. The first one they opened up was at Tuckers Meadow in the countryside outside of Bath. They're currently 'developing' a site near Abbots Leigh Wood in North Somerset, which is in the countryside just to the south of Bristol. As a result of friction with residents near the new site, they've deservedly acquired a reputation for tone deafness, arrogance and ultimately, hubris.
As well as blithely ignoring the concerns of local residents about the levels of traffic a site that's difficult to reach by public transport will generate, Roots have paid no regard to the ecology of the site they're 'developing'. Which is (now former) grazing land frequented by deer living in the neighbouring Abbots Leigh Wood. That means care needs to be exercised as to what kind of fencing (if any) is used on the site. Roots picked the kind of fencing that isn't compatible with free roaming deer. Sadly a deer trying to cross over the fence became trapped and died, despite efforts to rescue it. This is what happens when the concerns of residents are either dismissed out of hand or ignored.
Here's the supporting evidence for the making of this award from a previous post on our sister blog, At the Grassroots:
A few thoughts on allotment provision and guerilla gardening 9.12.23
After a long battle with local residents, Roots have started to develop a site at Abbots Leigh Wood near Bristol. It should be noted that Roots have generated controversy with the way they conduct their operations - Roots Allotments uncovered. The site they're now finally opening up at Abbots Leigh Wood ran into opposition from local residents pretty much as soon as Roots announced their plans over a year ago: Allotment plan is 'blot on the landscape' says village near Bristol 10.11.22. The concerns of residents range from the loss of meadow habitat for wildlife through to an increase in vehicle movements in the area.
It would be nice to think that Roots will eventually learn from their mistakes and show some humility and respect to the residents they've pissed off but, we won't be holding our breath. They seem intent on ploughing on with the plots and the associated infrastructure at the Abbots Leigh Wood site, regardless of a wave of adverse opinion from local residents and the disruption to the local ecology that's already occurring. There's also the chaos that will ensue when the plot holders who have signed up realise that the only realistic way of reaching their plots from Bristol in the face of a poor bus service, or a long uphill walk, will be to drive there and back. How many plot holders will elect to opt out after realising this will be interesting to see. Maybe one day, this debacle will feature in business courses as an example of how to get it completely and utterly wrong!
Is there any information about who is taking up these plots? It makes so little sense to hold an allotment far away from your place of dwelling, unless you are retired and have loads of time on your hands. And a good shed to sit in in bad weather...
There allotment situation in Bristol itself is apparently in disarray at the moment, because of council incompetence. There are huge waiting lists and at the same time huge numbers of plots not being used. There are cases of people moving away and just not bothering to inform the council, with no-one chasing it up. It might be worth doing some investigative journalism into this! I don't know if it's being picked up by the local press?