RESIDENTS are organising a battle plan to block any moves to sell off their allotments.

At a public meeting about the future of Pickard's Field and five other allotment sites, angry residents and Labour councillors from Gorse Hill, Pinehurst and Western wards planned their campaign.

Swindon Council has said there are no firm plans to sell the land.

But the Adver revealed that the council is considering selling off allotments to developers. The land from Pickard's Field alone is worth £5.6m.

At the meeting in All Saints Church Hall, Southbrook Street, Rodbourne, Coun Maurice Fanning (Lab, Gorse Hill and Pinehurst), urged residents to take a stand against the plans.

"Unless the council has a viable proposition for the land then it cannot develop it.

"The land can be changed but only after consultation.

"And it can only happen if the will of the people will allow it.

"We have a major battle on our hands and we must try to protect our land."

So far the campaigners have collected 1,100 signatures for a petition against any future sell-off.

They are aiming to collect a minimum of 300 signatures before the council makes any decisions about the future.

Coun Kevin Small (Lab, Western) outlined how the campaign will be taking shape.

"I have made a list of every street in the area. We want volunteers to put their name to a certain street then go and knock on every door and collect as many signatures as possible.

"The more we get the more we can demonstrate the strength of our commitment against any plans to sell off the land.

"We also need to set up a group of people to co-ordinate the campaign."

The councillors and campaigners have created signs saying Hands off our Allotments which they want residents to put in their windows and on posts on their allotments.

And they also want people to put pen to paper to lobby the council by post.

Coun Small said: "We need to write to every Conservative councillor on the council.

"It's up to you as individuals to do whatever you can to stop this.

"Tell them about how often you use your allotment and what vegetables you grow.

"The council needs to know how valuable these allotments are to you."

The allotments that could be affected are Pickard's Field which is being considered for residential development; Rodbourne Farm, being considered for commercial development; Cranmore Avenue and Redcliffe Street for potential residential development; and Crowdy's Hill, where unused allotments are of interest to adjoining owners of the land, including Crowdy's Hill School and the owner of Kembrey Park.

Diana Milne