Allotment Rules

[Helen Johnson]

What rules would members like to see on their allotments? We're very close to getting on site on our brand new allotments. We have to sort out the regs. What have you found usefull or essential for the smooth running of your sites?
Thanks

[Peter]

We have a catch-all rule, along the lines of:
The Tenant shall not cause annoyance to any neighbouring tenant or neighbours of the site.

Covers everything, walking on plots, smokey bonfires, spraying weedkiller on windy days, you name it.

Wording could do with improvement.

The Tenant shall not carry out any activity which in the opinion of the management committee causes, or is likely to cause, annoyance to any fellow tenant, or, neighbours of the site. The management committee will issue only one warning for any such activity (any verbal warning will be confirmed in writing), repetition of such activity after a warning shall result in the immediate termination of the tenants lease without recompense for any growing crops. The committee will take into account any mitigating circumstances in the enforecement of this rule. e.g. Serial complainers, whose complaints might fall foul of the rule anyway.

[bluemoon]

I'd definitely include something about the acceptable disposal of rubbish.

[Alison]

But try and keep it to as few rules as possible, one of the things I love about my site is apart from the don't upset the neighbours one it's pretty much up to us ie nobody is going to tell me to pull my shed down if it's 1/2" taller than some rule says despite the fact that nobody cares etc etc. A friend of mine has a site which has a rule book that's got out of hand by an over zealous committee, it's all got petty and their site has lost the community spirit it once had.

[Norm]

On ours, the most important rules are:-
Any plot must be 50% cultivated in any year after the initial year, which allows for preparation and turning a jungle into useable land.
All structures must be for hortecultural purposes only and may nor exceed 33% of the plot.
Pets and children must be controlled at all times by the plot holder.
Keep your plot tidy (ish)
No illegal activity may be conducted within the confines of the allotment.
If in doubt about what you can or can't do, ask one of the committee.

Having a communal hut is always a good idea. On our lottie, the regulation of 25%thinking, 25% doing and 50% talking to your mates !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[NOG]

I would have the bag rule.

In that you ordered it or lugged it up to the allotments in the boot of your car...you slep it up to your plot.

I am fed up with Women (and I don't care if complain/cos it is always women) that order 10 ton of compost/topsoil or arrive with 20 bags of 70lt compost in the back of their metro. Then walk over to me as If I have nothing better to do and say can you help me.

I wonder over to find a pile of manure the size of K2. that they want moving to their plot.

[Alison]

I am fed up with Women (and I don't care if complain/cos it is always women) that order 10 ton of compost/topsoil or arrive with 20 bags of 70lt compost in the back of their metro. Then walk over to me as If I have nothing better to do and say can you help me.

I wonder over to find a pile of manure the size of K2. that they want moving to their plot.

Cheeky sods. Would never even occur to me to expect anybody to do that for me, that's what I have a wheelbarrow for!

[Snadger]

I agree with Alison........try to keep the rules to a minimum.

We don't have this problem as our rules are our Tenancy Agreement with the Council!
I don't see why we need to add any more rules than those enforced upon us! (All 12 X A4 pages of em!)

[Helen Johnson]

Thanks for all of your replies. I would prefer to have as few and as simple set of rules as poss, dont want to put anyone off, or turn into a 'guard'. At the mo we have a great community spirit, which i'd like to nurture and preserve, at the same time as realizing that this spirit can be all too easily destroyed by a few careless actions. The no annoying your neighbours clause looks like it covers most complaints

[Paulottie]

We have very few actual rules...essentially no sheds...greenhouse with permission. No pigs!!!?, no trees (or bushes that shade a neighbouring plot)....There are also a few statutory rules covered by the allotment acts...eg notice to quit, keeping land in good order(weed free and manured), Not to cause any nuisance or annoyance to the tenant of another plot( you can add site neighbours to that). All plotholders to share in the communal work when asked.

Its a small site anyway, When I took over I sent out an 'etiquette' letter (less Hitler I thought). It came down to not letting yourself or your kids and pets trample on fresh turned sod or crops, showing consideration by not burning on the nice days in spring/summer when folk are enjoying their gardens, no scrumping; not dumping stuff on paths or littering generally; refilling waterbutts; a bit on watering/mulching techniques; and a bit on avoiding chemicals (plus drift etc).

The only 'rule' I added was banning the use of carpets.

[NOG]

Cheeky sods. Would never even occur to me to expect anybody to do that for me, that's what I have a wheelbarrow for!

Saying that though I got a call on a Saturday Morning saying did I want any Compost.....free.....If I collected it.

Free Free......so I was on my way.

Got to the ladies house and there was a pile of compost 3 foot high on her drive. With the car behind it. I asked her how much I could have and she said "all of it"...

I managed 2 one ton trailer loads. She had ordered it and the bloke said how much do you want and she said a lorry load. Came home of Friday night to find 10 tons on the drive and she couldn't get the car off.