Parlimentary discussion on Allotments

[Mikey]

I've been having a serious day, and came across the minutes of this meeting held in Parliament on the 22nd of July. It shows that within the government there are one or two members who are committed to ensuring that councils uphold their statutory obligation for allotment provision.

There are some very interesting elements within the minutes, one that interested me specifically was this,

'Written representations on the need for allotments can be made to a local authority by any six resident registered electors or persons liable to pay council tax, and under section 23(2) of the 1908 Act, the local authority must take those representations into account. The council must assess whether there is demand for allotments in its area. If it decides that there is, it has a statutory duty under that Act to provide a sufficient number of plots'.

The article references two papers published by the government which are listed below, the latter is chargeable although your allotment committee can ask for access to their local councils copy which were forwarded free from the government.

Allotments a plot holders guide

and

Growing in the community government recommendation for the provision and management of allotments within the community.

Happy reading.

[sharonr]

People have been trying to get allotments in the village where I live for a few years now and you are right the local council have to look into it if more than 6 people are interested.
We use to have allotments years ago (before my time) but the council built houses on them). In the last year they have looking for sites on the edge of the village for possible sites and they have found one, in the last few months they have tarmaced a carpark and are getting ready to fence the land off. So its worth fighting the council if your village hasn`t got one as in the end you will win.

[Mikey]

How many plots will it create, sharonr?

[sharonr]

Not sure, most of the info is from word of mouth, nothing has been said in the papers etc, but the field the car parks in is about 2 acres so hopefully there will be quite a few.

[Mikey]

Cool, if you get all of that, it will be great. Do you have many on a waiting list for one?

[sharonr]

Yes quite a few people want one as some of the gardens around here aren`t that big.
There are some allotments in the village next to us and quite a few people from our village have sites there so it would be good for them to have them here instead.

[JanieB]

I have cut and posted the legislation quoted. I am chuffed to bits that as the chairman of our local "Recreation and Open Spaces Committee", we have managed to get permission to develop some derelict land into more allotments. We already have an area devoted to allotments, run by the Town Council and by the National Trust. Both lists have around 26 people awaiting allotments ( making 52 in all).

The land designated was the playing field of a school which has been pulled down and redeveloped as housing. Before this, the playing field was allotments, so it is reverting to it's original purpose.

We have to put in a water supply, and alter the entrance slightly to allow for ambulances in case of accidents, other than that we are ready to go.

We have a fairly substantial housing estate being imposed on us. Most of the houses will have very little garden. We feel that the new allotments will have some uptake from there as well.

Really excited about this, especially as I've promoted it.

[di]

Good Luck with it Janie!

[Mikey]

Glad to here there are more planned, well done janieb.