Veg growers v the Duke of Northumberland

A decade-long battle by Park Road allotment holders in Isleworth, West London, has been called a modern day peasants’ revolt. These allotments have been cultivated for generations for over 100 years. They came into existence in 1917 when the then Duke of Northumberland leased the land to the council. This was to grow food for soldiers who had returned home after being wounded in the First World War. Many allotment holders without gardens (one in five people in London) find that their plots are places of sanctuary where they enjoy like-minded company, tend their crops and benefit from the wildlife that thrives on these green spots. And allotments can provide solace for those with mental health problems. They became particularly valuable during the pandemic. Very often allotments have vibrant supportive communities. 

The Duke of Northumberland, Ralph Percy, is one of the country’s richest aristocrats and one of the most prominent landowners in the North, with an estimated wealth in 2024 of £509 million.The family has made a fortune from vast landholdings. The Duke featured in the Sunday Times Rich List. 

Ralph Percy and his son Earl Percy wanted to build between 80 and 90 flats on the three acre site, leaving only a fraction of the area for cultivation. The Duke has a Grade I listed London property, Syon House, and he argued that he needed the profits to pay for repairs. Clearly his considerable wealth is not sufficient. He also maintained that the development was in the interest of key workers as it would provide affordable homes. A wealthy aristocrat who is concerned about housing for the less well off!

The Duke made two planning applications when the original lease came to an end in 2015. In 2021 Hounslow Council rejected the most recent application and the Duke decided to appeal. Eventually his appeal was rejected. 

The campaign to save the land was run by local councillors, Park Road Allotment Association and the Isleworth Society and received considerable support from the public.

Finally now the allotments are secure for over two more decades as a deal was reached under which the council will lease the land for 24 years. A triumph of ordinary people acting together against the rich and privileged. Hounslow Council says the lease will give current allotment holders “the security to grow fruit and vegetables on plots some have tended for decades, and will allow the council to restore the site, re-let vacant plots to alleviate its three-year-long allotment waiting list, and protect the site’s abundant wildlife and biodiversity.”

Hounslow Council may feel triumphant but it is worth noting that there are many empty properties in the borough that could provide much needed homes. These should be brought back into use to help solve the desperate need for housing for the homeless and vulnerable before they consider planning permission for new homes. 

The London Museum explains how the 1381 Peasants Revolt “rocked London”. Let us hope the Park Road allotment holders and their allies have rocked the Duke of Northumberland.