A row has broken out in a Bucks village over claims of an ‘E. coli infection’ on a set of allotments.

Growers on the Hill House allotments in Chalfont St Peter have disputed that flooding caused dangerous levels of bacteria to enter the soil.

But Chalfont St Peter Parish Council, the landlord of the site, says fruit and vegetables may be contaminated after sewage spills in the adjacent River Misbourne during storms in early 2024.

It told the Bucks Free Press: “We were made aware of dangerous human E. coli, chloroforms and virus’ present in contaminated water when the area flooded and took appropriate action.”

At a March council meeting, it was also agreed that a restricted tenancy be written for affected plots, meaning tenants would only be allowed to grow flowers and keep bees on the land.

E. coli was discovered in a surface water sample taken near the edge of the allotments after the flood waters retreated, according to a 35-page ecology report prepared for the council.

However, a soil sample from the same location did not reveal the presence of any E. coli, which can cause diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting.

Grower Alan Longshaw told the Free Press: “At that time there was no proof of E. coli at all. When the river subsided, they decided to test the river for contamination.”

The 83-year-old, who has been a tenant on the allotments for 25 years, said the council had assumed the bacteria was ‘all over’ the allotments.

The retiree grows a range of produce on the land, including strawberries, blackcurrants, beans, potatoes and gooseberries.

His plot neighbours that of fellow allotment holder John Southam, 90, who has been on the site for 40 years.

He and Alan were asked why they disputed the council’s risk assessment of the spread of the bacteria and why the council may want to move them to different plots.

John said he believed the council may be trying to ‘rewild’ adjacent land to allow more space for deer, while Alan said there was a nature park being set up on adjacent land, however, this has not been confirmed.

A council spokesperson said: “The affected allotment holders have all been given the option to move to an alternative plot on the same site, which have been cleared and are ready for planting whereby they can grow as normal.

“If, however, they wish to stay in the same plot they will be able to cultivate flowers and keep bees as advised by the National Allotment Society.”

However, the tenants dispute some of the information the council presented to the society, including the purported risk from the presence of bacteria in surface water, which was judged against the standards for bathing water.

Other allotment holders have agreed to move further up the hill away from the area affected by last year’s floods, but John and Alan are staying put.

Alan said: “It takes a lot of effort to get the soil into a condition to work, and they are just expecting us to go up there and start all over again.”

The council spokesperson said: “Thames Water continue to discharge sewage from the Amersham Balancing Tanks and Affinity Water still do not abstract from the local bore holes due to a Category 1 contamination risk.

“To reiterate all of the affected tenants have been offered new plots on the same Hill House site, cleared and ready for planting free of charge for the year.

“The parish council has taken appropriate action to ensure the health and safety of its residents using its facilities.”