Richmond Council's Planning Committee has approved its own application to remove the well-used and much-loved allotments on Shacklegate Lane – the last allotments in Teddington - in order to provide more burial space in Teddington Cemetery. 

According to the Richmond and Twickenham Green Party, the council's reasons for its decision are because "the cemetery is running out of space …..allegedly".

The party added: "Council staff and Lib Dem Councillors say it's much easier to take back all the allotment land and have lots of space for digging new graves than the alternative courses of action.

"This is one of Richmond's few open cemeteries: it provides burial space both for people who live locally and people living out-of-borough."

The party claimed that the council previously promised allotment holders in 2018 that only half the plots would be taken.

However, it says, "The council is breaking those promises, saying that the cost of reclaiming half of the allotment space rather than all of it in one go is too high…..allegedly. 

"None of these reasons are satisfactory. All over the country (indeed, Europe) cemeteries are running out of space and their management are having to adopt new approaches. 

"The previous Liberal Democrat administration in 2018 made a decision to initiate some of these new approaches for burials, such as re-use of older cemetery plots (successfully used in many London cemeteries in London including the famous Highgate). 

"Disappointingly, progress appears not to have been made since 2018 in Teddington."

Local Green Party councillor Caroline Wren says she has been "supporting residents who are deeply upset about this whole affair and the poor way it has been handled".

She added: "It seems as if this Council allowed itself to run out of burial space and then had to make a rushed decision.

"How can this have happened, when reports were produced in 2017-2018 that pointed to the ways we could avoid this? Residents feel completely let down and ignored."

According to the Richmond and Twickenham Green Party, "A pattern has emerged of this Liberal Democrat administration taking unpopular decisions hurriedly and without consideration for local people's wishes".

It said: "In this case, the decision to take away the entire allotment space was made back in the summer and putting it through Planning Committee was merely a rubber stamp exercise."

Green Party Councillor Richard Bennett was the sole Opposition representative on the Planning Committee and argues strongly that the "process was completely wrong".

He said: "This decision should have first gone to the Environment Committee, where the principle of whether the Cemetery should be taking away these allotments could have been properly discussed.

"The Planning Committee could only consider this case on its merits under planning law, not the arguments for or against this course of action.

"It's largely irrelevant that the allotments land was originally designated as burial land – there are plenty of examples of Council choosing to make different use of burial land, so why wouldn't we continue to use it for growing food?"

At the Planning Committee meeting, Councillor Wren argued that there are several viable alternatives to reclaiming the allotments that could provide burial capacity, if only the Council would adopt the practices used by many other London boroughs.

She said: "The Council is prioritising the dead over the living – this land should be growing food, not covered in cold headstones. 

"If this decision has been motivated by making money, or through their own lack of action for seven years as appears to be the case, then it's an absolute disgrace."

Richmond Council's deputy leader, Cllr Julia Neden-Watts, told Nub News: "We understand how important the Shacklegate Lane allotments have been to our community – and this decision has not been taken lightly. But with Teddington Cemetery expected to reach capacity within the next year, we must act now to ensure continued provision of local burial space.

"Many plot holders understand why this step is now being taken. The land at Shacklegate Lane has been designated for cemetery use for many years, and the temporary nature of the allotment use here has been clearly communicated and understood.

"While we recognise the temporary use of this land for allotments has brought many benefits to our residents, the borough offers a range of other allotment spaces. We remain committed to supporting every affected plot holder, offering alternative sites and ongoing assistance throughout this transition.

"We're focused on the cemetery remaining a green, welcoming, and accessible space for residents. We are developing plans to improve biodiversity, create new opportunities for volunteering, and establish accessible community gardening projects – ensuring that wellbeing, nature, and community life continue to flourish here for decades to come."