Allotment Demand

[andyfreshman]

Hi All,

Newbie here so please be gentle :-)

I have some land in the Tyldesley area of Wigan (Greater Manchester)

I am researching the possibility of providing private allotments.

Any advice on a few questions or to point me to the best places to get the answers would be greatly appreciated.

What steps would I need to take to turn agriculture land into private allotments?

What kind of demand is there for them in the wigan area?

What should I be charging for a plot?

I have contacted Wigan council but their telephone numbers do not work on the allotment website and I am yet to receive a reply to my email.

We are quite close to Bolton and Salford too but other than there councils telling me they have waiting lists I have no idea how much demand would be for the allotments.

[Two_Sheds]

How to Make a Difference - Food and Gardening - CASE STUDY: turning farmland into allotments - The Ecologist



^ any use?

[andyfreshman]

How to Make a Difference - Food and Gardening - CASE STUDY: turning farmland into allotments - The Ecologist



^ any use?

Thanks very much will take a look.

[Feral007]

Well that's a change - somebody with land. Hope you don't get knocked down by the rush.

Gurss it depends on how much you're going to be asking too. And also I would say from reading some of the comments on here over the last year, that somewhere where organic style gardening is encouraged might even get some people who are already on other sites, interested in yours. Of course, you'd have to look at what you'd sprayed around the ground yourself in the past years before you went that route.

And you might want to brush up on your dispute resolution skills, you know what people can be like some days

[Two_Sheds]

What kind of demand is there for them in the wigan area?

What should I be charging for a plot?... I have no idea how much demand would be for the allotments.

You need to go and physically visit the sites and talk to the plotters up there (the council don't have the time or the interest). Just shout over the fence, someone will let you in.

Find out if there's a waiting list in the area, how many people are on it, how much the rents are.

[andyfreshman]

Well that's a change - somebody with land. Hope you don't get knocked down by the rush.

Gurss it depends on how much you're going to be asking too. And also I would say from reading some of the comments on here over the last year, that somewhere where organic style gardening is encouraged might even get some people who are already on other sites, interested in yours. Of course, you'd have to look at what you'd sprayed around the ground yourself in the past years before you went that route.

And you might want to brush up on your dispute resolution skills, you know what people can be like some days

Thanks,

Organic would be something I would definitely encourage.

My own plans revolve around organic growing for my business so if others followed suit that would be fantastic.

I will hopefully hear from the council in the next few weeks and get an idea about interested numbers and what I would need to do in regard permissions.

[Two_Sheds]

I will hopefully hear from the council in the next few weeks

Don't count on it though. Council officers aren't dedicated to allotments: the person in charge of it will have many other hats to wear too, and will be given virtually no time or budget for wearing the allotments hat.

As an eg, I used to be a secretary at a council. I was also (due to budget & staff cuts) given the job of Religions something-or-other, which I was expected to do once a month, and always used to try to wriggle out of because I am an atheist and didn't feel I was the best person for that job. I had no choice though, I had to do it, there was nobody else.
I was also made Complaints officer, so I was a 3-hat officer, but only being paid a one-hat wage.

It's probably even worse now.

[Feral007]

Some of the people on here do classes/workshops/information evenings. That might be a way to gauge how much interest there was from the people you were targeting.

Seems some people (a lot on here) who get interested in gardening, then get interested in how to manage things without having to buy everything in. A natural progression for some people.

It could be a very interesting challenge for you.

[andyfreshman]

Thanks for the input, certainly given me food for thought.

Looking at other allotments seems a great place to start.

[Sheneval]

Hi andyfreshman - The question of annual charge has already been covered but as well as that and the land, you need to take into account the following; would your site provide: a water supply, toilet/s and if near housing a secure fenced off area, car parking space in the vicinity and vehicular access in event of emergency, or even just for offloading manure etc. Would you be maintaining surrounding areas and unused plots - all of these factors are important considerations to potential plot holders.

We have a private site nearby which is losing members because, allegedly, some of these things are not being provided. Grants would possibly/probably be available to cover some or even all of the costs for some of these items.

Lots for you to consider - good luck

[Two_Sheds]

^ You absolutely don't have to provide all those amenities. After all, it's an allotment, not a garden centre or rural theme park (we have stand pipes and space for half a dozen cars to park on the lotty drive itself. Everyone else parks outside the site, on the street, a few of us manage to use our legs.

Sheds are vital if you don't have a car, and very useful even if you do: somewhere to store equipment, to shelter from sudden downpours, to take a wee, have a brew etc.

I am totally against providing toilets (a waste of money & water, and who is going to maintain them? Even a composting toilet is going to need considerable effort to install & maintain. A bucket in the shed is adequate, and for some reason little boys LOVE being allowed to pee on the garden!


The more you provide, the more you can theoretically charge, but you mustn't price yourself out of the market: work out what your locality can afford.

[Feral007]

LOL isn't there a whole thread about pee'ing in the shed? :P

[RedThorn]

If you search on here, there's a whole lot on lotties and and their costs/ rents and yes, a thread or two on buckets in the shed

[Incy]

I'd be surprised if there wasn't the demand to be honest given that our site's waiting list is about 3 years and we're not that far from you.

[alldigging]

Welcome to Kindling's website... | The kindling Trust
Is based in Manchester - might be worth a quick look