I'm on the waiting list for an allotment - round here its a 2-4 year wait, but as others have said, the council review with you every 3 months for the first 9 months (so they check in 3 times) that you still want it because people don't understand the work involved. It works for me because 4 of us are all going to have an allotment together at first as its going to be such hard work and we are all on the list so we are waiting to see who gets on first!
I queried about allotments and I was told as well as the council's (5+ year) waiting list, there were also some gardening associations that had allotments where the waiting list time was less. I put my name down for one of those instead but it still might be a year or two until I get one. I was told however that if you don't grow anything within a year, someone else gets to have it! I think that's good since I'm certainly going to grow things, and hate to see spaces wasted. I can't wait for my allotment! :D At least I have plenty of time to decide on possible things to grow...
I was very lucky in not having to wait at all for my allotment and it's a ten minute walk away from my house. The area was just a field that had been used by cows grazing and I'm not sure how the alloments came about whether people were asking for them or what. Anyway I saw an article in a local booklet that is posted through the door and phoned up to ask for one, and was put on a waiting list (must have been small) because a few days later got a phone call offering me one. Well, can you believe I turned it down for various reasons mainly time. Then a few days later another phone call was I interested in another one which was actually bigger. So I decided with my son to take it and we would work it together. The upshot is my husband has got bitten by the bug and we are doing it together, it hasn't been without thoughts of giving it up and what are we doing but now we have worked through the rough bits (couch grass) and it's looking good now. But like other people have said there are about three plots that are neglected but I think our commitee have given those people a date to either make an improvement or they have to leave.
I have recently put my name down for two allotment sites in Oadby where i live. On one i am number 69 and the other i am number 99!! Goodness knows how long it will be before i get a sniff of one... That said..my children are 3 and 14 months, so maybe not a bad thing that i will in all probability have to wait a few years. At least by then i will have more time to give to nurturing an allotment
I know people who refer to their garden at home as their "allotment", so that shows that it's the "in thing". In my rating an allotment is second to having a decent garden.
I found a great pdf here Allotments - A Plot Holders Guide.pdf ----- What the law says Small Holdings and Allotments Act (1908) Places a duty on local authorities to provide sufficient allotments according to demand. Each council decides for itself how much of its resources to devote to allotments. However, if a council considers there is a demand, it has a statutory duty to provide a sufficient quantity of plots and to lease them to people living in its area. If local people feel there is a demand for allotments that is not being met, they can get together any six residents who are registered on the electoral roll and put their case to the local authority to consider. ----- (When it comes down to the choice between some allotment spaces, or that new 'Tescasdabury's' development...........well, lets just say that most people wanting an allotment cant provide the chief planning officer with 2 weeks in Tahiti ;P)
We have just managed to convince Barnet council to reinstate derelict allotments, even with the backing of our local councillor, they are unwilling to give us a timescale for this action and yes, they have been dragging their feet at every step of negotiations. They say it'll cost £50k to do the work, cheap at the price if they use it as an example of their "green" credentials? They make far more than that from just residents green waste recycling alone!
They don't make things easy Vince, I should think getting derelict allotments back into the system with all the potential food mile savings etc will pay back the £50k in no time - of course the council don't see that gain themselves, pity they take the short term view.
I would like an allotment, but where I live there is absolutely nothing. However, the farmer who's land backs onto the bottom of my garden is quite friendly. I have spoken to his wife about the possibility of buying a small piece of the orchard which my place looks onto. I have made an offer and am waiting to hear back from him. You know what farmers are like though, could be months before I hear anything. Meanwhile I have sat down with Mrs Chopper, cup of coffee, pencil and paper to work out how we can make best use of the garden we have. We are very lucky in that we do have a big garden. We want some of it to be garden with flowers, shrubs, ponds and a bit of lawn. The rest we want to really make it earn its keep so to speak. We made a start last year, then a family bereavement and other things got in the way. Now we have the time and energy to devote to getting things moving. We have made a proper plan. Thought things through properly. Done some research and we are making it happen. I honestly think that people get the idea that having an allotment or arranging a garden to suit them is a five minute job and once done it takes care of itself. We all know that is not the case and you literally reap what you sow. Many like the idea but have no clue as how much back breaking work can be involved. All those people that leave allotments and land to its own devices, do no favours to the folk that really want to get thier hands dirty. Chopper
Chopper, if the farmer says No about selling the strip of land you could ask if he will rent it to you instead. Just a thought.
Barnet Council are trying to back track :( We are all so angry! The site is designated allotment land so where's their problem? Did they have views to "trying" to sell it off to developers? It's just so frustrating because we have an army of volunteers waiting in the wings to clear the site.
