The shop in Freezywater had been using the adjacent allotments for commercial storage without permission
A Freezywater supermarket boss has been evicted from a council-run allotment site after unlawfully transforming the land for commercial use.
Following a recent court hearing, Öncü Food Centre and its director, Suleyman Tekagac, were ordered by Wandsworth County Court to vacate the plot at Elliots Field Allotment, in Aspen Way, as well as restore the land and pay Enfield Council’s legal costs of £2,013.
The court order followed legal action by the council, with the allotment being found to have been used for business purposes without permission – including for storage and a new access area.
After the defendants initially failed to comply with the order, the court appointed bailiffs to secure possession of the site and return it to the council.
Neither Tekagac nor Öncü Food Centre held a legal tenancy for the allotment plot. The business, which is registered nearby in Hertford Road, had previously approached the council seeking to buy or lease the land for commercial use, but was refused permission.
Despite this refusal, the site was occupied by them and used as a business storage facility. The unauthorised use was uncovered by council officers during a routine site inspection.
Investigations revealed that trees had been removed and the allotment substantially altered. Large freezer containers were placed on the land, fencing was erected, the ground was paved over, and a driveway was created to allow vehicle access.
Under the Allotments Acts and the council’s own allotment tenancy agreement, plots may only be used for the cultivation of fruit, vegetables and flowers. The tenancy agreement allows only limited structures, such as small sheds, greenhouses or polytunnels.
The land has now been recovered by the council and will soon be made available once again for legitimate allotment use.
Maria Alexandrou, the council’s cabinet member for environment, said: “Allotments are valuable community assets that exist to help residents grow food, enjoy the outdoors and support biodiversity. This plot was unlawfully occupied and substantially altered, depriving local people of land intended for community use.
“We will not hesitate to take action where council land is misused or occupied without permission. This successful outcome demonstrates our determination to protect public assets, enforce the law and ensure allotment sites remain available for residents to enjoy for their intended purpose.”
Three months ago the new minority Conservative administration at Enfield Civic Centre promised “firm and immediate action” to tackle “years of unacceptable misuse” of allotment sites. It followed a series of reports in the Dispatch since 2024 exposing unauthorised structures at Barrowfield Allotments in Edmonton.
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