A protest has taken place outside St Ann's Allotments due to claims of discrimination' resulting in evictions. The group, which was protesting what they claim are unfair evictions from St Ann's Allotments, gathered outside of the site at midday on Saturday, February 18.
It comes after tenants have been expressing their concerns over how the site located off Hungerhill Road and Ransom Road, has been run since summer 2022. Evicted tenants say they are still waiting for answers following their evictions from the site.
Some tenants have claimed they have been discriminated against, which is why they have been evicted. More than 20 people turned up to protest outside of the allotments, holding placards and chanting.
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Gisella Sobarasua, 61, was evicted in July 2022 for allegedly breaking tenant rules, which she denies. Ms Sobarasua allowed people from her local community project to work on the plot, and says there is no proof of the accusations made against her.
She said: "It is mentally draining. I shared my allotment with my friends and family, it was an area of positivity. They are trying to get rid of the West Indian community, who kept this allotment alive for decades, and a lot are older people - to bring in the '£100 welly' people. There are double standards on what people can do on their plots as well.
"HDL is running the allotments like a private company just trying to make money. I was evicted because I stood up to them. I am not being silenced when we are being treated dreadfully.
"They need to be made to face the consequences of their actions, but they just try to bury the problem and make us out to be troublemakers. We are in the right, but a lot of people are scared to speak out and they continue their delaying tactics.
"The council needs to do more to help us, councillors like Mr Liversidge [St Ann's ward councillor] back the Renewal Trust - if these people are not willing to represent us they need to step aside. They need to be gone as they have managed it in a disgraceful way."
Hungerhill Developments runs the site as part of the Renewal Trust. The Renewal Trust declined to comment on the protest and has previously said they won't discuss individual tenants.
Monica Lindsay, 60, who has leased an allotment for more than seven years, said: "It is a shame it has to come to this. I think it is a complete mess, there is a lack of accountability and responsibility.
"This should be for the people, we have a wonderful community here. We just want rules to be applied across the board. They do not adhere to their own rules.
"We have lots of empty plots and a crisis in food supply - we should be growing more of our own food but we are being restricted. All we want is fairness. It is amazing up here but I cannot ignore the treatment of other people who just want to use the allotments."
Christina Starbuck, 34, who was a co-worker on Gisella's plot before she was evicted, thought the evictions were significantly impacting St Ann's community. "During lockdown it was such a nice place to come together - this is about fighting for the future of the community and for our children.
"It is such a shame people have been treated like this. It is not right for people to be denied access to their spaces like this." Other tenants came forward last summer to express their concerns at how the allotments were being run.
A tenant who wanted to remain anonymous said he feels the management team are not good at communicating with tenants and that complaints do not seem to get addressed.
He said: “If I got evicted off there I would not know what to do with myself. It is my little heaven. What they don’t realise is that it is not just about growing things up here, it's people’s little getaway. I don't think they realise that people getting away from the stress of life is just coming up here.”
The tenant has had their plot since the early 1990s and added: “They just seem to be picky, some people can do what they want and others can’t. The biggest problem is communication.”
Coucillor Liversidge declined to comment.
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