allotment rent

[Paul Wagland]

Re the Council's obligation to provide allotments, I asked about this at our last meeting as we have some land available to provide extra lotties. It is designated as Public Open Space but is currently derelict. The rule is that if there are no lotties at all and six or more parishioners ask for them than the parish is obliged to provide them, they are not, however, obliged to provide an allotment for everyone on the list.

This is absolutely right - councils have to provide land for allotments (where possible) if at least six residents ask them to do so. I've yet to meet anyone who has had success with this though - or even got together with five other people. It's not easy to get hold of the waiting list I imagine - data protection and all that.

I wonder if we can get something going on this website so people can register their interest in a given location? Or would we be too thinly spread? Maybe an ad in your local paper is a quicker way forward?

[JanieB]

We've just had a letter back from our District Council who seem to think our idea for use of the derelict space is a good one. So, later on this year we will be reducing our waiting list considerably .

We have one smallish problem in that there is no access for vehicles so people will have problems getting rotovators etc there. Personally, I can't see the difficulty as none of these plots will be as far from a vehicle parking space as mine is on our site.

[jeannine]

That's great news JanieB, congratulations! You should write a letter about your success to GYO (I can pretty much guarantee we'll send you a prize!).

I wonder if it would be helpful for people who are waiting to approach the site forman (or woman) on each site? They could keep their own list or people who want a plot and encourage them to get together and contact their council. Has anyone tried this?

[samw04]

My plot is 200m2 approx and cost £14 per year its got water my plot is a fence away from the playground so i can see my kids while i work during the day and in the evenings i have to walk right past the pub to get home which i can also see from the plot. (my husband helps loads in the evenings but it takes us alot longer to get home)

[Snadger]

My plot is 200m2 approx and cost £14 per year its got water my plot is a fence away from the playground so i can see my kids while i work during the day and in the evenings i have to walk right past the pub to get home which i can also see from the plot. (my husband helps loads in the evenings but it takes us alot longer to get home)

Our allotments are close to a chip shop! The smell of fish and chips on Saturday lunch time draws you like a magnet!

[Cuke]

I've just taken on my first allotment and it's about 168 square meters which is costing us £15 a year. A bargin if you ask me!

[bluespuggy]

Hi,
the rent on our site in gateshead is £24.50 and £15 for water which is turned on in April weather permitting and turned off end of october, all our plots have taps and they are of average size