Should I hold my breath!

[soladragon]

I am 74th on a list for an allotment. Is this sounding like a couple of years wait to anyone else?

[dominic10]

It took us 4 and a half years. But something funny happened. We were 165 and a couple of years later 45 and then told 60 something. The person running the list left and now it is published. Yet another Grape had to wait only 4 and a half weeks. I was lucky - I was able to join a group sharing an allotment so have had several years of trying things out. Hope you don't have to wait as long as us! I would advise keeping in touch with whoever is running the list - if only to show you are keen.

[Bigmallly]

Are there any others nearby, put you name down on a few if that's the waiting list.

[soladragon]

Well I was only allowed to choose two. One was 74 and the other like 152 or something.

I live right next to a massive field, it has a gate that is now locked but does not seem to be used for anything. I have looked on land registry and it came up with nothing. Is it council land? Could I get them to change it into an allotment?

[Pa Snips]

I was told that I was at 76th position when I put my name on a waiting list and, based on their average annual turnover of plots, I calculated that I should be offered a plot in roughly twelve to fifteen years!

[Bigmallly]

Would anything like this help in the meantime?.

Organic Vegetable Garden in South Wirral Needs Some TLC | Landshare - connecting growers to people with land to share.

[veggiechicken]

Well I was only allowed to choose two. One was 74 and the other like 152 or something.

I live right next to a massive field, it has a gate that is now locked but does not seem to be used for anything. I have looked on land registry and it came up with nothing. Is it council land? Could I get them to change it into an allotment?

Have a look at your local council development plan and see whether the land is likely to be developed in any way.
The Land Registry website should enable your to find the owner's name but you'll have to pay to download the details.
The land and/or property cannot be easily identified by a postal address - Land Registry - UK Government Department
Ask your neighbours who owns it.

[Graham K]

Have you tried google earth?

Hang on in there a minute, I didn't miss the thread.

Two things about allotments, they are NOT all owned/run by the local council and they are very easy to spot from the air, lots of rectangle shapes all in a row with (usually) nice straight lines and paths that lead to places. OK fine, but I don't actually have a plane, helicopter or hot air balloon at the bottom of the garden!

Thats where the said google earth comes into play, thats how I found mine. Start with your own house and zoom OUT slowly, if you don't see anything move around a little in the areas you know, you may just find something you didn't know was there. Get "on your bike" or in the car and go have a look. There are more PRIVATE allotments than you may think, have a look and ask questions as to who owns the land. A lot of country estates and "lord of the manor" type places still have allotments, the National Trust also owns a lot of land.

Might be worth a try and better than a council twenty year oops, sorry, just gave it to a mate, waiting list.

Hope this helps, Graham.

[VirginVegGrower]

I am 74th on a list for an allotment. Is this sounding like a couple of years wait to anyone else?

No is the short answer or you will stop breathing. How about telling the other 73 that there is a new opening on an allotment site of your imagination. You may then become numero uno

[VirginVegGrower]

Isn't Newton from that way on? Ask him where the lotties are....maybe

[Newton]

As if by magic!

Hi soladragon. Sounds like you have a long wait......come along to our site if you can as we have one or two elderly members in need of help. Plot helpers are allowed.

My allotment is in Newton believe it or not..."..

Btw our list is 136 estimated at 25 years based on average turnover.......

Where are you looking?

[Samurailord]

I was fortunate enough to get an allotment after a wait of only five weeks from first enquiry to signing up.

The first allotment I put my name down for was a long established one with about 40 plots and a waiting list of also about 40. The secretary there told me that I was likely to have a wait of two years as there wasn't much turnover there.

I found a thread on this forum offering plot on a lottie a bit further away with no waiting list through a Google search. The thread was a few months old, but a couple more plots were coming up as the current plotholders weren't looking after them.

The allotment I have got into is very new, just over a year old and so has no facilities at all apart from a couple of IBC's that are just being sited, the ground is very uneven and soggy as it has never been cultivated, but that doesn't really matter to me.

Have you tried asking around your friends, or in the local shops in case someone knows of an allotment nearby? Google search is your friend too

Andy

[soladragon]

25 years! surely that kind of wait is neglect on part of the council and they need to pick up the act!

Do you think there is a chance if I go see the allotment there might be some land that is "too neglected" to work with. Because I would even take that!

Newton is a bit far as I would prefer walking or cycling distance. I am on the list for Greasby parks one.

As if by magic!

Hi soladragon. Sounds like you have a long wait......come along to our site if you can as we have one or two elderly members in need of help. Plot helpers are allowed.

My allotment is in Newton believe it or not..."..

Btw our list is 136 estimated at 25 years based on average turnover.......

Where are you looking?

[soladragon]

And what would a plot helper entail?

[Newton]

Usually helping with growing and tending the plot and sharing the produce. You need to get along to the allotment and start asking around and making yourself known! Newton is only a mile or so from Greasby!!