Forest garden calls for reprieve on notice to quit

Campaigners are battling to save an "irreplaceable" outdoor garden near Totnes after it was given a notice to quit after 31 years by landlord the Dartington Hall Trust (DHT).

The Agroforestry Research Trust (ART) runs a sustainable forest garden to teach people how to grow crops alongside trees and adapt to the challenges of climate change.

Garden founder Martin Crawford said the "literally priceless" garden could not "easily move" to a new home and "it will be a tragedy" if it had to leave.

DHT said it had to make the "best use of all its assets" and needed "to fully realise the potential" of the site.

Mr Crawford said: "We got an email completely out of the blue saying they are giving us a year's notice.

"This food forest is irreplaceable. It is literally priceless."

He said thousands of people have visited and "the ideas from this garden have spread widely".

Mr Crawford said ART had offered to buy the land from the DHT but had not heard back yet.

Supporters include green campaigner George Monbiot who said he was "astonished and horrified by this decision".

He said DHT "gains nothing from this decision, while all of us lose".

Food writer Mark Diacono said: "The forest garden is unique, an exemplar, a place of hope in a difficult world; and the idea that ART and this incredible place should be separated is a national scandal that will be enthusiastically resisted."

A DHT spokesman said: "We have now heard back from Martin Crawford after four days to accept our offer of discussing a way forward."

He added: "The trust, for its own long-term sustainability and best use of all its assets, needs to fully realise the potential of the former Schumacher site and surrounding areas, with necessary due diligence and compliance.

"This is critical in order to accommodate any new tenant and help them coexist effectively with existing activities nearby, on this case the ART garden.

"DHT and ART will update stakeholders in due course on its discussions."

He added: "It's part of a broader plot that will be used by another tenant in due course and we need to find a way of making the whole thing work."

The Schumacher College closed last year. It used the forest garden as a classroom.

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