Following recent press coverage, we would like to make clear that Cholsey Parish Council is not selling the former allotment land at Wallingford Road. While the site was registered as allotment land until recently, it has not been used for that purpose for several decades.

The 0.37-hectare plot lies at the far edge of the parish, close to a busy bypass, and has limited accessibility. It lacks safe pedestrian and vehicular access, has no dedicated parking, and has no water supply.

At our meeting on 19 March 2025, the Council therefore resolved to apply for deregistration of the land as allotments. This decision will allow us to continue managing it for nature, in line with our Biodiversity Policy, and to improve its ecological value. Given the legal protections that rightly surround allotments, we have engaged with the National Allotment Society throughout this process.

Cholsey Parish Council remains fully committed to allotment provision. We maintain three large and well-used sites in the village — at Station Road, Ilges Lane, and Cholsey Meadows — offering around 200 plots in total. We employ a dedicated Estate Manager to oversee them and have secured grants to develop a new Community Allotment in 2025.

Our priority is to keep allotments in Cholsey accessible, vibrant, and sustainable for current and future residents, while managing all parish land responsibly for both people and nature.