I don't know if he has visited the site, but I suppose he must have. Let's hope that he was wearing wellies to guard against nettle stings, and keep his feet out of the dog muck. Oh yes, and carrying a stick to beat away all the crowds of ecology students queuing up for a look.

This small meadow was formerly housing, and then was permanently grazed by horses over a period of years. For at least the last five years it has been neglected and unloved; and although I am assured by an expert that neglect is a good form of management, I cannot but feel that this might have gone a step too far.

I am not a trained botanist, but I can certainly recognise nettles and docks which there are in abundance on this site. I also fancy a real meadow might have less scrubland and couch grass.

What do you think? Post your comment below.

We have been searching for a site for our allotments for three years now, and it is at best naïve, if not quite insulting, for Dr Rotherham to think that we have not looked everywhere possible. Bradfield may indeed be a fantastic area with wonderful countryside and wildlife, but it is rapidly disappearing under new housing and developments. We would like our allotments to be in Oughtibridge so that the plot holders can walk to their sites, so that we can build some community links, so that we can at last gain something positive from living in a beautiful village which is rapidly disappearing under concrete.

Grazing land has doubled in price in the last year and owners are not willing to sell as they can just wait for the boom which will come as the green belt is given up for housing.

We allotmenteers are fully aware of all proposals of the SCC and Bradfield Parish Council to do with this site.

We have worked together to draw up a plan which makes best use of the space and provides the maximum benefit for wildlife, with wildflower planting at the margins, and a new pond and wetland area by the stream.
We will be applying for Green Pennant status for the site, and are all keen to garden as organically as possible.

In an ideal world we could preserve every landscape in every state of management. In the real world we have to reconcile what real people want from their village.
Liz Hewett, Secretary Oughtibridge Allotment Society