COULDN'T believe my eyes

[lynda66]

just a thought if you take it on as a project but the council won't clear it, get in touch with your local probation office, they have offenders who need to do their community service somewhere, and this seems ideal, also you could get in touch with your local volunteer bureau asking for volunteers to help ..... if you show the council you are determined they may actually get off their bums, especially if you ask the local paper to run a feature asking for volunteers too..... the more people there the sooner it will be cleared.

all you need then is fencing and lots more tenants ...... who will probably come rushing in from your volunteers

[George Gray]

I live in Brum and nowadays the council are prepared to clear plots to a basic level but they do need a bit of pushing from the allotment society and of course because the plot only has a few residents that really hasn't formed yet.
I think the problem of people giving up in the first year when the weeds start growing is due to the unrealistic and romantic impression the gardening programmes and magazines give of how "easy" it is to work an allotment particularly in the first couple of years, even more so if one wants to garden organically with demands more work.

[Two_Sheds]

Looks like every allotment site I've ever inherited ! We had lots of derelict plots on our site up until last year ... then suddenly every plot was taken. This was in main part due to the dedication of a couple of unemployed chaps who relish a challenge & love hard work. They spent weeks & weeks clearing rubbish (driving it to the dump themselves as the council aren't interested).

We used to have a lot of petty vandalism too, but combined effort (no empty plots; snotty letters to the local headteachers & the local paper; midnight patrols; an interested C3PO*) have nipped that in the bud.

We have now got a problem with fly-tipping, since the council moved the tip from the north of town to the south. Fridges, carpets and beds are just left at the allotment gates.

Good luck to you. You may be fighting a losing battle against the council & the vandals though, so don't leave anything valuable up there.

* those hobby bobbies that have replaced proper policepersons. No offence intended.

[littlepooley]

Thats shocking!!! Good luck in getting things sorted, somebody needs to get the ball rolling as it's just a waste "letting" it get to that state, I wish you all the best in getting the Council to get their act together x