Growers in the Lea Valley have slammed “secretive” draft proposals for a park redevelopment project that include compulsory purchases of several horticulture businesses.
Despite claiming that the plans are “unrealistic” and may never be realised, growers are worried about the effect on customer confidence following the proposals, which threaten the viability of some businesses, being made public.
The proposals, published online by the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, have named roads and areas of the park that would be redeveloped, and where several commercial growers are located.
They will also be displayed in three local libraries over the coming weeks.
One statement within the plans says the Authority will 'resist significant expansion of existing glasshouse businesses or the location of new glasshouse businesses'.
Existing glasshouse sites will be permitted to continue in the short to medium term, until “the land can be brought into recreational or leisure use, through the use of the Authority’s land-purchasing powers if necessary”.
Applications for the development of glasshouses will be considered subject to conditions of visual screening and limited impact on recreational visitors.
The Authority said it may consider proposals for land swaps to allow expansion of glasshouses, providing there is an overall increase in land devoted to “park compatible uses”, and other park development objectives are not prejudiced.
Lee Stiles, secretary for the Lea Valley Growers’ Association (LVGA), said growers “knew nothing about the plans”, despite sitting on a joint taskforce with the Park Authority since August 2013.
“If it wasn’t so ridiculous it would be laughable. It’s so financially unsound. I don’t think it could happen, as they don’t have the money and taxpayers won’t pay,” he said.
“Our biggest concern is the effect on customer confidence, due to the fact they’ve published these plans in the public domain. They have named specific areas and roads, for example – Paynes Lane is where one of our biggest growers, Valley Grown Nurseries, is located. So it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out who would be affected.”
Stiles said LVGA is taking legal advice about its next steps, and has issued a formal complaint regarding the publication of the proposals.
“There is a very strong feeling about it on the park. All the business are linked – a secondary packer would buy produce off a primary grower – so if one’s affected then they all are,” he added.
Stiles said the Lee Valley Park Authority is not answerable to local government, and although the proposals would be looked at by an outside body, growers have not been told who this would be and what the timescale is.
“It’s all very secretive. They are not subject to scrutiny by local authority. At the moment a formal complaints procedure is the only way,” he said.
Lee Valley Park Authority was not available for comment at the time of writing.
No comments yet