Are Hot Beds Allowed

[Sheneval]

Have just been advised that Council has advised a fellow plot holder that the 4ft deep hole he has dug for his hot bed is a health & safety hazard and must be filled in immediately

His plot is fenced off and the hole is capped and he intended to put in the manure and earth this week.

As a member of the Committee I feel we must challenge this decision, not only on his behalf, but from a general point of view about Council decisions on what is allowed on allotments.

Advice please?

[Jeanied]

Well as long as he constructs the hot bed quickly he will be complying with their demand to fill it in!

[Bill HH]

Well as long as he constructs the hot bed quickly he will be complying with their demand to fill it in!

Took the words right out of my mouth.

[Alison]

What are they concerned about? A deep hole or the concept of a hot bed itself? Don't see any problems really but it would help to understand why they think it's an issue. Am yet again glad that our council leaves us our own devices and doesn't meddle in things it sounds like they don't understand.


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[Dorothy rouse]

Maybe they were worried about what he was going to bury in the hole, 4 ft is quite a depth.

[alldigging]

He should cordon it off perhaps or put a board over it,

You do have a duty of care to even those not invited on to your allotment.

[lottie dolly]

The only thing that they would be bothered about is,an intruder falling in and claiming compo,ohhh dear what a shame they fell in the hole,if said hole was to have safty measures around or on top,,don't see problem,BUUUUUT,it is Scottish rule again,shouts to AB

[mothhawk]

I don't see why you need to challenge your council, Shen. They are saying that a 4ft deep hole is a safety hazard. They are not saying you can't fill it with manure, they are just saying you can't leave a hole lying around unsigned and unguarded.

There is always a chance, particularly with the wet weather we have been having, that the sides of the hole could collapse - suppose some kids were playing in it?

Perhaps other allotment holders that want to make a hotbed would be advised to acquire the manure first, then dig the hole and construct the bed immediately.

I have to say, also, that in my opinion, 4ft deep is a bit of overkill - 2 1/2ft should be plenty deep enough for sufficient manure to heat up. And I would take the easy option of heaping the manure on top of the ground, rather than setting it below ground level, but then, after 20yrs behind the stable-fork, digging no longer thrills me

[Sheneval]

He should cordon it off perhaps or put a board over it,

You do have a duty of care to even those not invited on to your allotment.

As I said the hole is capped - my initial thinking was as most of the posters are suggesting but I am not so sure. The plot is fenced off - the site is fenced off and the gate is kept padlocked.

The term 'duty of care' has to have some common sense attached - if not, we would all have to provide stairs up to our bedroom windows to prevent any possibility of the burglar falling whilst climbing the drainpipe to gain access; whereas when my brother lived in a tenement the drainpipe was greased to prevent the burglars having a safe time of it when climbing down from the roof which was their favoured method of entry at that time.

[Bill HH]

If a thief falls through an asbestos roof you can be prosecuted for not having warning signs. What a crazy world we live in.

[Sheneval]

What are they concerned about? A deep hole or the concept of a hot bed itself? Don't see any problems really but it would help to understand why they think it's an issue. Am yet again glad that our council leaves us our own devices and doesn't meddle in things it sounds like they don't understand.


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Like yourself I suspect there is something or someone behind this - there is no way that anyone who has looked at the situation could regard it as a hazard - I used to do risk assessments for works issues and if I had carried out one on this issue I would have put it as very low - the guy had covered the hole which would prevent anyone falling into it unless they removed the cover, in a fenced area within a fenced area, therefor he had carried out due diligence which is as much as you can do in this type of situation unless someone is being petty

We do get vandals coming in a couple of times a year but there is nothing in this plot to single it
out as worthy of special attention.

[alldigging]

"capped"? Does that mean covered over so no one can fall in?

I'd suggest he gets the muck in the hole to fill it in ASAP.

[rustylady]

I can't understand why anyone would want to dig a hole 4 feet deep. That's going well into subsoil. A hotbed doesn't need to be anywhere near that deep.

[Olorin2001]

The only thing that they would be bothered about is,an intruder falling in and claiming compo,ohhh dear what a shame they fell in the hole,if said hole was to have safty measures around or on top,,don't see problem,BUUUUUT,it is Scottish rule again,shouts to AB

But if he filled it in quick with the intruder still at the bottom there would be no claim for compo.

[binley100]

My pond must be nearly that deep at the deepest point...
I always thought hotbeds were piled up on top of the soil but I suppose then he'd be contravening the height law...