Ten year waiting time!

[Gwen11ian]

From my local councils website:

"Allotment vacancies

There are currently no vacancies for allotments. The waiting lists for all sites have been closed because of overwhelming demand. It could take up to ten years on some sites before a plot became available."
Allotments - London Borough of Richmond upon Thames


Anyone with a garden to rent?!

[Snadger]

Whatever happened to the supplying of land for allotments if six people got together rule?

[di]

Snadger beat me to it!!!Has anyone,have you Gwen11ian,tried the approach?(6 people wanting a lottie,going to their local council & basically demanding the right to an allotment)....I've heard a lot about the rule....but never actually from anyone that's approached their council to fulfil it.
If you've not tried,then maybe worth a go....I'm sure the lottie secretary could either give you names of 5 others on the waiting list...or at least give them your number,so they can contact you......If you try then Good Luck!!

[Gwen11ian]

Thanks for the advice. I've tried calling the allotment secretary at the council several times over the past few months, but she has yet to return my phone call. I suppose maybe a visit might be in order? >

[BrideXIII]

Thanks for the advice. I've tried calling the allotment secretary at the council several times over the past few months, but she has yet to return my phone call. I suppose maybe a visit might be in order? >

definitely vist, email and phone calls are too easy to avoid answering, or claiming they never had them.

[SarzWix]

Or why not try a small ad in the gardening section of your local paper, or a card in the window of a local shop? Asking like-minded people if they'd like to join a group to petition the council?

[Matt.]

Have a look at landshare. Its a website set up by Hugh Fernley Wittingstall and friends for the purpose of allowing people to find bits of land to grow on. People can offer their gardens for your use and its targeted right at people like you.

Before you get too excited its not up and running yet but you can register interest and they'll keep you updated. Its going live sometime next year (probably springtime) so you'll hopefully get chance to do something next year. Better than a ten year waiting list!!

Good luck.

[Snadger]

definitely vist, email and phone calls are too easy to avoid answering, or claiming they never had them.

Not if you keep emailing and fill there in-box!

[carlseawolf]

ring the council and pretend to be a bbc gardening programme , gardeners world got offered 3.

[selfheal]

unfortunately the rule of 6 people requesting an allotment forcing the councils hand doesnt apply in the borough of london because of lack of land aparently. doesnt stop you badgering them to make more sites, but you cant try and force them like you can elsewhere in the country

[Gwen11ian]

Thanks for that bit of information selfheal, I was just about to write to the council to see what they plan to do about the issue.. and that was going to the be the basis of my argument.

I just watched a program on BBC a while ago about WWII in London, and it was amazing the number of allotments they had then! Almost every park in the city was turned into veg patches.. it was a beautiful sight (to my eyes). There was some talk about using part of Richmond park for allotments this past year in the newspaper, but a few people caused quite a bit of an uproar.. so that seems unlikely to go ahead.

[miffy]

Another approach for you might be to contact any local schools that have playing fields as part of the every child matters agenda for children is that they are encouraged to be healthy. You could perhaps offer to help develop some lotties on their site and have one for yourself as part of the deal, tis a suggestion.
Also i know that both Garden Organic and the Soil Association are running campaigns re getting more folk to grow their own so you could perhaps write to them re this and see if they can advise/get in touch with your council. good luck.

[jonewer]

Write to your MP. Ask him what he is doing about it. He better be doing something about it, or you wont be voting for him again. Same with the local councilors. Contact them personally.

See if you can get others to do the same.

[allotmentlady]

Make a nuiscance of yourself to the council, make sure that they know who you are! calling once a week....contact the NSALG about the waiting list. I would contact the local newspaper and ask them to put an article in, to see if others waiting can contact you, so then you can write to the council, badgering them, there are laws in place, please have a look at the post allotments in darwen.

It can take sometime, let us know how you get on :-)

[Gwen11ian]

Not been having much luck. I've phoned a few more times, but have been mainly sending emails (without a single reply). Have yet to make time to go down and visit in person. It is a good suggestion to see if I can find a group of people in the area who are interested.

I've just sent an email off to the editor of our local newspaper in the hopes maybe they will put in an article about it.