Allotments Working group advice please

[EmB]

Hi,

My husband and I are currently lobbying our local Parish council to improve the allotment provision in our village.

The council are somewhat apathetic and I am trying to squeeze them as much as possible. As a result of attending the last council meeting i was invited to join the allotments working group, I suspect as an attemp to take the sting out of my tail.

Anyway the group consists of 3 councillors, one who has an allotment and 2 who have no interest of understanding of the desire for allotments. When i asked what they had been doing lately to address the issue I was told "not alot! The have asked a couple of local farmers about land but they think allotments are an eyesore" When i asked them about land owned by the council that is supposed to be used for allotments but is let to a local farmer I was told "we would be better off waiting for him to die tean to try move him off the land".

So my mission is to raise the profile of allotments in my village in the hope a land owner may be supportive and to try motivate the rest of the working group.

Any suggestions gratefully recieved.

[VirginVegGrower]

Good luck! Our local parish council are the same - more concerned with dog poo and boycotting village take aways! Why don't you stick an ad in your local post office (if you still have one) or in your parish magazine (again if there is one). Garner opinion on how many would be interested in renting an allotment. You could take that then to your pc meeting (usually held once a month).
Arm yourselves with supporters as it is my understanding that if you have a certain amount of interest the council have to look at provision! Copy any correspondence to their county council offices for added leverage. Get local press involved. But your first step is to see who is interested and COMMITTED first of all!
You may even, if you have enough interest, look at buying land between you to create your own allotment organization.
Power to your elbow!

[EmB]

Hi,
Thanks for that. I have pretty much got all the legislation bits covered and have ads all over the village, in the newsletter and on the village website to 'rouse the rabble'. We also run a blogspot in order to inform and bring people together. So as far as establishing interest I have all bases covered and have a couple of things up my sleeve if the council continue to be apathetic.My real problem is motivating the councils allotment working group to actually get out there and do something and wondered if anyonelse had been involved in anything similar.

The 3 members are disinterested because 1 already has an allotment and the other 2 don't see the appeal but sadly they are the eyes, ears and pens that the council will be relying on to source more land for allotments. At the moment they are doing nothing other than saying 'we continue to look for land" but aren't actually asking or approaching anyone. I need somehow to get a rocket behind them and inspire them to raise the profile of modern allotments and allotmentiers so that we may persuade local landowners to sell some land.

So if anyone has any experience of this I would very much appreciate advise on how to approach farmers, how you raised the profile of allotments. Any advice on planning as one opposition that has been voiced to a current plot being turned into allotments is that 3 local residents don't want that as their view! Interesting that 2 of these 3 actually have an allotment themselves! There is existing planning for allotments to be on that site but along with the tenant farmer and the residents opposition the council use this as their excuse not to convert that land. I am understand that legally you are not 'entitled to a view'. Does anyone know anymore?

Thanks

[VirginVegGrower]

I suggest you contact the National Allotment Association and if you join up they will advise you perhaps. You already have allotments provided right, but they are not sufficient in number for the interest in the village? What is this allotments working group business? Are these attached to your parish council or your county council? I would suggest the council may get embarrased by any negative press and this could start the wheels grinding slowly. Try National Association first, then maybe local press.

[EmB]

Hi again ,

Yes the working group are a sub group of the parish council. We already have allotments. 9 plots for 2200 villagers. I am lobbying the Parish Council to provide more as i have waited 5 years and there are 25 people on the waiting list. The problem isn't necessarily convincing the council to provide more plots as I have that covered I think, I am making written representation with 5 others and will amke my campaign as public as possible if necessary but getting the working group moving. The working group are those parish councillors responsible for allotments and finding more land. Its no good lobbying the council only to hit as brick wall with the working group saying " we are looking" I need to get them moving.

[VirginVegGrower]

What do you do if someone is a problem at work - speak to their boss! The parish council are responsible to the county council. Copy your letters to the press and to the county council offices. Ring and ask for the relevant departmental address. Written communication leaves an audit trail and gives a timeline to your dealings with the parish councillors. If you haven't done everything as a written communication, I suggest you start now.
Hope this helps - the allotment association wouldbe your best other start.

[EmB]

Thanks, I have already spoken to the NSALG legal advisor re written representation etc but yes if it comes it I will be contacting the county council, press and MP and yes everything has been done in writing and I have filed and ordered ALL meeting minutes that mention allotments for the past 5 years.
I would very much like to have crossed every bridge and ticked every box though before I start pulling out all my trump cards, I don't want the county council to be able to make suggestions/excuses that I haven't thought of hence trying to ralley the working group. Least if I have tried I can say I have tried everything and tried to solve my own problem before asking the council etc to step in, I feel like it validates things and if I can get more allotments for the village prior to going to press etc then I will be happier.
Thanks again.