A plot for plots

Here's an extract from a Gardening magazine about allotments:

"Gardeners could soon be able to force local councils to provide new allotment plots. The government wants to give communities the power to identify potential sites for new plots and make local authorities take action.

An average of 57 people are waiting for every 100 plots, compared to just four people in 1996. Around 87,000 gardeners are stuck on plot waiting lists. Shortages are worst in London, where waiting lists in some boroughs are reported to have hit 100 years.

Ministers plan to tackle the shortage in the government Localism Bill. It will allow people to set out locations of sites that could be used for new allotments and highlight those they want protected. Once a neighbourhood plan has been independently assessed and passed by the community in a local referendum, a council will be obliged to adopt the plan.

Planning Minister Greg Clark said "sites are becoming unnecessarily difficult to come by. We need to stop the decline in allotments. People who get behind neighbourhood planning, and develop a plan, have real powers to protect existing sites and create more
plots for the whole community to enjoy."

A report released last week revealed that Town Hall Chiefs sold off or redeveloped 50, 630 allotment plots between 1996 and 2006"

If this Bill does get through it'll upset a lot of Councils.:D

 

I agree with you, Skinner. Councils have been selling off school land and allotments for decades without regard to whatever colour government is in power. But councils do now seem to be accelerating the sales of land without regard to the future.

As you say, it will be interesting to see if and in what form/strength the Bill passes.

 

I thought that a Bill to this effect had been passed by the last government!!!

 

I think this Bill expands the older legislation by giving the local community the power to hold a referendum and if successful actually have the power to stop impending allotment sales, Shiney.:D

 

Yes, it's strange, Ruth, how irate people can get over things. You'd think they're were asking to houses there. You're doing the right thing by staying out of it anyway.:D

 

Like it, Ziggy:D