Path issue - advice wanted

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Right, long story condensed down to bullet points.


*I've taken over half a plot
*The top of the plot has a shed and greenhouse used by the previous tennant of my half (and my current neighbour - he still has the other half)
*The path that went up the side is being moved to the middle to divide our plots
*When I paid my rent I paid for a half plot (150 square yards)
*Now the talk is of the path going right up the middle, leaving me with a much smaller plot (around 115 square yards)
*In order to make the two plots equal in area, he ends up with a really narrow plot - which seems daft (narrow = 3.1m, 11'2", 3.7yd)
*I've been offered use of his greenhouse but I think I'd rather have my own so would really like as large an area as possible (i.e. the half plot I've paid for)
*To top it all - I measured the whole plot (his half and mine) and it's under-size, so we've both actually over-paid
*I don't want to cause a fuss... but I also don't want to just back down and end up with a lot less land than I've pad for and planned on


I think that about sums it up.
My neighbour is a nice guy and is being really reasonable about it (we only had a chance to talk about it today and are meant to be meeting up on the plot tomorrow to chat about it) - the three options are either leaving him with a really narrow plot, ripping down his shed so my plot goes right to the top or putting the path right down the middle and I end up with a smaller plot.

I really don't know what's for the best or even how best to approach it. I'm really not the sort to make demands in this kind of situation and certainly don't want to get up anyone's nose.

Any suggestions? How best to go about it?

[Paulottie]

Difficult to asses from here and I must go to work but....

• -Most tenancies may be 300 sq yards but state that YOU must provide a 2' path where required
• -Sounds like a reasonable guy...nothing wrong with finding out what he thinks.
• -He may be happy with 10' rows...I divide my plots up so they are narrower strips anyway.
• -Don't have to be entirely geometric now do they? just draw a plan of your agreement and give it to the council.
• -Site you sheds together - then divide the remaining land.

[marathon]

We've divided plots but we don't actually allow paths to divide half plots.

The reason for this is that if we can't let the two halves they can easily be let as a whole plot.

I agree that you've paid for a plot which was the plot you viewed,now the plot is going to be smaller so you should be paying less.

If you both agree is there anyway you can approach the site rep and explain you are both happy to keep the side paths. If they still want to use a path can't it be a much smaller size just as a marker rather than a functional path. Maybe 10 inches.

edited - Just to add I'm working out the size of 4 new plots that we've brought back into use and we have decide to have long narrow plots 11ft by 80ft rather than wider shorter plots as it was felt that not only would we need paths either side of the plots but then half way up and thus losing more spacebut we also saw it as losing rent as we wouldn't be able to ask for so much rent from the plots

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The path will be 2 feet wide and up between the two halves, that's for sure. The existing side path has been pulled up and the flags moved ready to be laid.

I wasn't too clear in my first post, but the path was meant to be slightly off centre giving me a wider plot than my neighbour's, it was always to be moved between the two plots but I don't think any of us realised how far it would need to be moved to give equal areas.

Imagine and upper case L. That's the shape of the neighbour's plot, his shed and greenhouse are in the _ part of that and his beds are the | part. My plot is the part running alongside his beds, from the roadway at the top to the _ where his shed is.
Make sense?

Paul's comment about them not being geometric has given me an idea, we might be able to have two L shaped plots of equal area. The bottom end is a bit shady so it's not the best solution, but it would certainly do the job. Path right up the centre line of the original plot and an equal area for each of us. It's a thought anyway.

On the cost issue - the other tennant has said he's happy to pay me the difference in plot sizes, but in all honesty, cost is the last thing on my mind. Even if the full plot was 300 square yards (and it's not) - dropping down to 115 is only £6.30 difference which really isn't the end of the world.

The annoying thing is, the site secretary now has me pinned as a skinflint who's moaning about pennies... which I'm a bit fed up about as that's really not the case at all. The money's the last thing on my mind... it's space to grow my grand plans and a fair deal for both me and the guy who's given up this half too. One thing's for sure though - he (secretary, not neighbour) is going to be no help whatsoever. He's already getting a bit a***y about it all and I only mentioned it in passing for the first time yesterday. Chuffed.

By the looks of it, the path's going to go up the middle and either I'll end up with 115 square yards (maybe a scratch more if it goes slightly onto his side, which it might yet) or I'll take on the (slightly shady) bottom of his plot so we have equal areas.


One other question...
At our site we pay membership and rent separately. Do both go to the allotment society, or does the council get the rent? If it's the latter I probably will chase up the difference in rent owed to both my neighbour and I (since the plot itself is undersized) as I can't stand the thought of the wasters in the council having more undeserved money to blow on biscuits and bonuses... if it goes to the society though, I'm more than happy enough for the money to stay in the kitty as I know it'll do some good there.

[Hans Mum]

On Leeds self managed sites, the council sets the base rate (currently £30 for a full plot) we retain 2/3's ie £20 towards upkeep of the site.