Lottie and Stephen Hester

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In Saturday’s Argus one letter pointed out the irony of how much support for the greenness of the city is provided by allotment growers and yet their support by the Council is being radically cut. Where is the green agenda? they ask.

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There is still an opportunity for the Council to readdress its budget this year, it’s a practical test of the rhetoric of all parties in a hung Council. I am not going to be facetious about hung as I believe that the large majority of Councillors do their work out of civic duty. However, when they are economical with the truth, allow staff to hide information and spin party lines they deservedly take a lot of stick. We are not fools. Budget time is when we all , like the English cricket team, suffer from spin. The response should be clear headed and hit for six.

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The Council and even the Allotment Federation are taking credit for the allotment rental rise being 67% over two years, not one year. If someone stopped banging your head against the wall after 33 times how appreciative would you be? Would you thank them that they did not do this 67 times, especially if they said the rest would follow later. Peter Mandleson is alive and well.

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There have been lots of responses to my last Blog, £110 Lottie, a rich man’s world. There is a lot of anger and frustration out there at the way all of this has been handled. It’s time to move ahead with a mature, transparent approach that some comments on the Blog are showing. Lessons need to be learned from this shambles and some good planning introduced, not backstairs bartering within a preordained, imposed framework.

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A serious discussion on these issues is crucial and long term strategy is essential. If not, the lack of a clear policy on Brighton allotments will be a focus of anger and ridicule locally. The kind of anger and ridicule we all have on Stephen Hester and for bankers bonuses. More on this next week.

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PS Watch out for Seedy Sunday on 5th February; it’s the really big gardening community day at Hove Town Hall organised by gardeners for gardeners .voluntarily! www.seedysunday.org .

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