Mie challenges silence over oversized allotment homes in Vejle

Many people in Vejle have known for years that homes in the city’s allotment gardens were too large, but few have spoken out. Mie Sparre is now backing the municipality’s demand that the buildings comply with local planning rules, DR reports.

“Many people do not really dare to come forward and say that they actually think it is reasonable that action is now being taken,” Sparre said.

Sparre lives in an apartment in Vejle with her husband and uses their allotment garden and its house for recreational stays during the summer. She said some residents had made “all kinds of manoeuvres” to build larger homes.

Her plot covers 800 square metres. The house is 15 square metres, her husband’s workshop is 20 square metres and a separate building with a small toilet measures 12 square metres. The buildings therefore cover 47 square metres in total.

“I think an allotment garden should be a place where you come in your free time and relax. We love this little place, and I do not think people should live here all year round. That goes against what an allotment garden is to me,” Sparre said.

New rules for allotment houses

Vejle Municipality adopted new local plans in January 2024 regulating the size of houses in the municipality’s allotment garden areas.

Under the new rules, allotment houses may measure up to 50 square metres, with an additional 30 square metres in annexes and similar buildings. The municipality says the previous limit was 30 square metres for an allotment house.

Although the new rules allow more building space than before, the municipality estimates that 150 houses are still clearly too large.

About 100 allotment owners have filed a lawsuit against Vejle Municipality in an effort to have its local plans overturned. They have hired lawyer Knud Foldschack.

Pressure to follow the majority

DR previously reported that Vejle Municipality had legalised eight houses after their owners reduced their size. The municipality is also in talks with nine other owners who want to legalise their houses.

Sparre said social pressure had made it difficult for residents who supported the municipality’s demands to speak publicly.

“I feel that some form of social control is taking place, or that people are frowned upon here if they do not follow the majority. There has been a kind of pressure,” she said.

“We know each other well here. It is a small community, and there is a feeling that if you are not with those leading the revolt against the municipality, you keep your head down.”

There are almost 1,000 allotment gardens in Vejle, meaning the group challenging the municipality represents only a part of the local allotment owners.

“There are many people who think: Let the municipality stand firm now and deal with this, because it is a few people who are ruining it for the many,” Sparre said.

She has had her allotment garden for six years but visited the area before that. She said many people knew the oversized buildings were illegal and had simply followed others who had built large homes.

“The fact that others break the law does not change that the Allotment Garden Act applies. I have never been in any doubt about that. If you are the least bit sensible, you know that this is an allotment garden area,” she said.

Residents can keep their allotments

Sparre rejected the argument that some residents need to live in their allotment homes year round because they find it difficult to fit in elsewhere.

“They are not losing their allotment gardens. They can get a home and come here every day if they want to. They can stay here and go home in the afternoon. You can do that regardless of how large your house is, so let us reduce them to a normal size and then we can all be here,” she said.

Sparre said she was not nervous about speaking out, despite knowing people in the area.

“We live in a democracy, and we must all say what we think. I strongly support that,” she said.