Eco-conscious gardener left baffled after being ordered to remove ingenious rainwater collection system from his allotment in Milton Keynes

Mark Landry, who works as an engineer, decided to improve on the usual water butt method and rigged up a system using IBC containers that farmers use to store water for crop irrigation.

It means he can collect and store all the natural rain water he needed and not be a drain on the communal allotment tap.

But his eco action did not impress members of the town's Allotment Committee, who say the system must be removed because it is too large.

Yet they concede there is nothing in Mark's contract to restrict the size of vessels used to collect water.

Sharon Bull, who is the Allotment Committee Officer for Newport Pagnell Town Council, which runs the Lakes Lane site, wrote to Mark this month stating: "Whilst the Allotment Committee acknowledged that you had not technically done anything wrong and that they welcome good conservation of water, as you are obviously trying to achieve, they felt that the size overall of your water tanks was disproportionate to the size of your plots and did not see how you would fill them."

She added: "They agreed that a water butt or tank of a maximum of 400 litres was adequate for the size of all plots across our sites and therefore your tanks would exceed this."

The committee has given the tanks a stay of execution until until next year, when they will produce a new amended contract to ban their use.

Mark, who is 55,has slammed the move as undemocratic and unecological.

He said: "It was my intention to not only produce a better crop in the future by use of natural water but also to contribute to water conservation which will assist all concerned and the planet.

"This seems to be a decision by a committee of people as yet unknown to me that seem to wield this power and are happy to rule the roost with no consultation or appreciation," he added.

The 1000 litre tanks were previously used on a Northamptonshire farm to store fertiliser and were pressure washed to remove any residue before Mark installed them.

"I have ensured that wildlife cannot drink from or fall into the tanks by means of a metal gauze protecting the water ingress point," he said .

He has built special angled water catchment trays water catchment trays and planned to operate a hose-like irrigation system to connect to the tanks to ensure his crops stay watered during the dry months.

Mark says he has has received no complaints from fellow plot holders about his system. "The neighbours who have spoken to us about it were all positive and remarked on the fact that we are being asked to conserve water wherever possible."

The Citizen is awaiting comment from the allotment committee.

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