ELGA Gardens

Jim Hyde and a brief history of the site

ELGA Gardens site was a former railway line from Chiswick High Road, where there is now a bus terminus, connecting to the line running through Acton Central. Decommissioned in 1966 it was laid waste until 1977 when Jim Hyde, who was working for the parks dept for LBHF, became aware of the potential for laying out the strip of land to small leisure gardens.

The strip of land was full of 11 years’ worth of accumulated household rubbish.

At that time the Western side of the land belonged to Hounslow Council and the Eastern side to LBHF. Neither council wanted to clear the land nor to establish leisure gardens/allotments. However, Jim managed to persuade LBHF to let him and a couple of mates clear the land – with borrowed council equipment – and lay it out to small plots.

In 2002 LBHF bought the western side of the railway land from Hounslow and a formal leasehold agreement was signed between the newly formed Emlyn Leisure Gardens Association and LBHF.

LBHF drew up a Constitution and the Rule Book was created – partly from terms and conditions from the lease and constitution – and partly to establish fair and considerate conditions and a family friendly community spirit for all plot holders.

LBHF stipulated that all plot holders must be residents of the borough; however as Jim had by that time moved out of the borough, in order to keep him in the gardens, all current plot holders were granted a new license whether they were residents or not.

All future vacant plots must only be let to residents of the borough. When non-residents give up their plots these plots will be let to LBHF residents.