Disgusted Rant

[andrewo]

Thanks for all the advice, I will tell my friend, I was speechless. The problem is they were told the plots were owned by the council, who sold them to new charter, who then sold them onto a private landlord without telling anyone. None of it is illegal and the council have no say in the matter, it's a shady way for them to back off on their obligations to the village, they say they will supply more plot but were is beyond anyone. I'm just glad I don't have a plot on there.

[BrideXIII]

not illegal no, but highly suspicious, any idea who the private landlord is? and are they connected in anyway to the developers after the land?

[andrewo]

No proof of that but highly suspicious that this has happened.

[BrideXIII]

No proof of that but highly suspicious that this has happened.

well unless i am way off the mark, the local land registry should have the owner listed, companies house search for the development company will have to list directors, its not guaranteed anything will show up cos they could be using nominees to buy the land, but the whole thing definitley stinks, and the council at least should be exposed for selling the land on in the first place, they may claim they didn't know, but if they didn't suspect, then they shouldn't be in office.

[bluemoon]

The problem with allotments is that we traditionally put an economic value on them which is different to that of most hobbies. My father is an avid golfer, the hobby costs him thousands each year and if you factor in the holidays which are taken beside the world's leading courses then we're probably talking well into five figures. Compared to that a £200 lottie is cheap. I probably spend as many, if not more, hours per week on my plot than he does on the golf course so as hobbies go we're getting off light (I currently pay around £40 for a full plot, roughly half of which is the water charge). Having said that, if the cost of producing the veg became much more than the price in the shops then I'd almost certainly give up. The fact is that we do calculate the economics and look to at the very least break even. If the cost of greenhouses, sheds, tools, seeds and manure is added then the veg we produce isn't that much cheaper than shop bought and a ridiculous rent is enough to tip the balance. It does sound to me as if this particular council is up to something not entirely savoury.

[BrideXIII]

here is an interesting thought, is there any other allotment site in the country that council or private, that charges £100 a year per half plot?

is there somewhere we could find out?
(allotments! not private land for growing stuff)

isn't the whole point of allotments that they are a nominal rent? ie: not the actual value of the land.

[bluemoon]

I believe the original intention was that they were for the 'labouring poor', Bride and that rents should be minimal in order to allow men (they were all men then) to provide for their famillies. They were a reaction to the riots caused by the Enclosures Act. A few had additional requirements, the church owned ones could be taken away from you if you didn't attend services. Though how someone who worked six days a week then had to attend church on his one day off managed to find time to do the gardening is beyond me.

[BrideXIII]

no doubt you are right, it rings a bell anyway, i really don't see how £100 a half plot can be considered reasonable in any event whatsoever! i have never heard of even private allotments charging that, but maybe i am wrong.

the one i am after is council, £25 a year per half plot, that's a quarter of the price and includes water. something is definitely smelly here unless anyone can think of a similar priced private plot in the uk.

I can feel a dig coming on, any chance we can get the name of the landowners? and who are/were new charter? that the council origianlly sold the land to?

[tricky]

To me it just shows how caniving some people can be , worst of all they thing everybodies green .
They maybe think none of us are educated and cant work out there motives
Somebody must know who the landowners are , it must be on a receipt somewhere
I use to pay £21 for my plot including mains water , £100 seems very very high .

[andrewo]

I've learnt more from my friend, they're charging them all £100 per plot regardless of whether you have a half plot or full plot. According to the new landlord that's fair! How the hell is that fair? Half a plot being charged the same as a full plot. It is unsavoury. New Charter is the company that took over the running of all the council houses in this area, effectively becoming private landlords, the allotments are in the middle of an estate that they took over, this unfortunately included the allotments. They were supposed to manage them but neglected to do so and sold them on quickly, then for months no one knew who owned them and now the owner has shown up and put his foot down - he wants to build houses, they all know, and because it's his land, New Charter have turned around and said, it's nothing to with them and the council say it has nothing to do with them and its New Charter's responsibility? Another case of one hand not knowing what the other hand is doing. Though I don't have a plot on there, it does annoy me, the guy who is coming off is a source of good gardening knowledge and now he's jacking it in!

[BrideXIII]

definitely time to get your local paper and news station involved, they at least will have the resources to find out what's what there and report on it.

[SHAZSULL]

well i hope his houses never sell & he gos bust!
some people have no morals!

[Nicos]

Contact 'Watchdog' that's just the sort of thing they love to get their teeth into. I bl**dy well would - that's just disgusting

I think that's a brilliant idea!!!, esp as houses aren't selling and food prices have rocketed, and there is a movement to GYO.
Perfect combination of subjects to cover!