Tension is building between two rival community groups over the threat to Sandown Road allotments.

Supporters of saving the allotments and defenders of Sandwich Lawn Tennis Club’s fight to expand, attended the Sandwich Town Council meeting on Monday.

It was revealed that an agreement was made between the tennis club and Dover District Council that once the allotments became vacant, they could potentially be leased to the club for a fourth court.

This comes after permission was granted to take over a part of the space for its new clubhouse.

It sparked a pro-allotment petition which gained 366 signatures and was submitted to the town council.

Jane May, of Fisher Street, started the document and spoke at the meeting. She said: “My reading has revealed it should have been subject to a proper planning consultation regarding change of use.

“We are not anti-allotment, we just need the space. We can not move the club but the three allotment holders can move to vacant spaces at Black Lane."- Lloyd Daniels

“Once these allotments are gone they are gone. I call on Sandwich Town Council to ask DDC to review the whole issue.”

Lloyd Daniels, club captain, defended the plans and highlighted the important role the club plays in the community.

He said: “We have some exciting plans to expand our new clubhouse with the foundations being dug out on Wednesday for this £55,000 project."

He said a plan to “phase out the allotments” was drawn up back in 2012 with DDC and allotment holders in order to put in a fourth court.

Mr Daniels said: “Since then the tennis club has invested thousands of pounds and a lot of time in expanding our club.

“We are not anti-allotment, we just need the space. We can not move the club but the three allotment holders can move to vacant spaces at Black Lane.

“We would like these agreements to be honoured. We have been quiet long enough. A possible way forward we have suggested is to hand the allotments straight into the hands of the tennis club and we will handle the minimisation.”

The council voted to host a public meeting to reach a compromise.

The opinions of councillors was split at the meeting.

Cllr David Wood said: “I don’t think it’s right that the tennis club could invest a lot of time and money into a project and then have us change our position.”

Cllr John Bragg added: “The fact is an agreement was made between DDC and the tennis club which I certainly wasn’t party to.

“Naturally they hope people will die off and then the whole thing will go. We did agree to the increase in the area and construction of the club house which is necessary but I did not agree to reduction in the number of allotments.”

Cllr Michael John Holloway, who put forward the motion, said: “I think its unrealistic for the allotment space to be retained as it is, that goes against what the tennis club has proposed. In the spirit of good community relations a public meeting should be held for a compromise.”

The council decided to defer a decision on whether to give the tennis club a grant for £10,000 for the new clubhouse until after the meeting.

A spokesman for DDC said: “We continue to work with all parties to balance community interests in this matter, and to explore the best way forward for the benefit of local people.”