At the start of 2024, BHAS created a biodiversity action plan (BAP) for our five allotment sites. Allotment sites are some of the most important spaces for biodiversity in urban areas. In East Sheen, our allotment sites are also home to several protected species.

Reports

BHAS Biodiversity report 2025

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BHAS Biodiversity Action Plan 

A. Main Objectives

In line with the objectives of the LBRuT LBAP (Local Biodiversity Action Plan), our objectives are to:

  1. Conserve and enhance biodiversity across allotment sites. This contributes to supporting a functioning local ecosystem that supplies us with important ecosystem services.
  2. Raise awareness with plot holders about the importance of biodiversity. Developing a deeper understanding of biodiversity helps us to appreciate the interdependence between us and our environment.
  3. Increase involvement of plot holders in maintaining and improving biodiversity across allotment sites. Taking action to conserve and enhance the green spaces we are responsible for enables us to improve biodiversity in our local community for the benefit of everyone.

B. Why is this important?

  1. There is continued and increasing demands on land in the Borough for new housing, commerce, and recreation, reducing available wildlife habitats. At our allotment sites we provide habitats for a number of priority LBRuT LBAP species with their own SAPs (Species Action Plan, see below). Mapping these populations and recording their abundance provides greater protection for our allotment sites.
  2. There are several local important areas for nature conservation in LBRuT within the immediate area of Hertford, Priory, The Triangle and Pavillion allotment sites. Enhancing the biodiversity on our allotment sites will provide connectivity between Richmond Park (National Nature Reserve/Special Area of Conservation/SSSI), Barnes Common (Local Nature Reserve/Site of Metropolitan Importance to Nature Conservation) and Beverley Brook (Site of Borough Importance to Nature Conservation).

C. Allotments as ‘private gardens’

LBRuT LBAP classifies allotment sites as ‘private gardens’ as they are not typically open to the public. ‘Private Gardens’ account for one fifth of land in LBRuT and there is a specific Habitat Action Plan. The generic and specific actions where we can contribute to the LBRuT LBAP are:

1. GA04 – Contribute to database of species records in London.

2. PG01 – Promote wildlife friendly gardening practices through web pages, social media, community and gardening and allotment association events, open garden events and printed information.

3. PG02 – Promote wildlife surveys i.e. butterfly count, garden bird watch.

4. PG12 – Engage allotment associations in promoting awareness and best practice in wildlife-friendly gardening.

D. The challenges facing allotments

Allotments face the following challenges to maintain wildlife-friendly habitats:

  1. Regular mowing of grass areas and keeping borders tidy.
  2. Removal of deadwood, leaves and ivy, which provide good habitats for fungi, invertebrates,hedgehogs, mammals and amphibians.
  3. The use of chemicals, including slug pellets.
  4. Fences between sites.
  5. Fewer open compost heaps.
  6. Reduced number of ponds and a lack of maintenance of existing ponds.
  7. The use of hard surfacing (i.e. paving) and plastic covering large areas.
  8. Planting alien or invasive species, which generally support a lower abundance and diversity ofnative wildlife.

E. Priority species

The priority species in LBRuT are are bats, native black poplar, hedgehogs, house sparrows, song thrushes, stag beetles, swifts, tower mustard, water voles, white-letter hairstreak and elm. These species are also of regional and national, and, in some cases, international importance. The LBRuT LBAP also includes a pollinator action plan that specifies the actions needed to help reverse the decline in pollinator populations in the Borough.

LBRuT Species Action Plans exist for the following species, which we have anecdotal records* for at the allotment sites: 

– Bats, Stag beetles, Pollinators. *additional species may exist

Our allotment sites also provide habitats for several protected species, which we have anecdotal records* for at the plot sites: *additional species may exist

  1. Grass snake
  2. Smooth newt
  3. Common frog
  4. Common toad
  5. Slow worm
  6. Badger
  7. Bats
  8. Stag beetles
  9. Kingfisher

Our allotment sites have also recorded national scarce species, including the hoverfly Callicera aurata.

F. Our priority actions 2024 – 2030

Bringing together the information outlined in this policy, we propose the following priority actions to meet the objectives outlined in section A, counteract the challenges in sections B and D, and contribute to the LBRuT LBAP (sections C and E):

Partnerships

1. Join Habitats and Heritage as a partner society.
2. Work with Barnes Common Ltd/LBRuT to improve biodiversity in Beverley Brook and surrounding habitats (e.g. bank clearance and a native plant species list for pollinators).

Education

3. Bid for funds to create the Community Project providing access for local community groups to learn about biodiversity at our allotment sites.
4. Introduce a new prize at the annual show for ‘Biodiversity plot of the year’.
5. Improve our site noticeboards with information about biodiversity on the plots.

Surveys

6. Map our allotment sites.
7. Survey our priority species and map their abundance.

Enhancing biodiversity

8. Encourage open composting.
9. Increase the number of plots with rotting wood piles.
10. Promote the building of new ponds and maintenance of existing ponds to create a ‘pond corridor’.
11. Introduce new species-specific housing for our protected species (e.g. bat and bird boxes, reptile refugia).

Conserving biodiversity

12. Reduce our reliance on the use of all insecticides, pesticides, and herbicides on site (including slug pellets and rat poison). Our aim is to work towards a chemical free site.
13. Actively support the ban on the inclusion of peat in compost and other products (due to take effect from the end of 2024) in our stocking of and sales from, The Trading Shed.

14. Encourage more plot holders to install water butts to collect rainwater.