Is there a law that says we should be provided with allotments?

[Nick Blair]

I have heard that the local govnment are supposed to by law provide allotments. Is this really true?

I have waited about a year for an allotment and still no allotment.

[pdblake]

There is but when I put this to my local MP I got nothing but the run around. You can read a bit about just how highly I regard that particular pillock on my website.

[Nick Blair]

So there is a law but they do not meet their obligations?

[Nicos]

Hmmm.....can't answer that- BUT - my gut feeling is 'yes' ...BUT ....I think 'they' may have many exit clauses up their sleaves...which could be argued against if you have enough dosh??

Research is what is needed...can you 'go for it' Nick????

[Nick Blair]

Hmmm.....can't answer that- BUT - my gut feeling is 'yes' ...BUT ....I think 'they' may have many exit clauses up their sleaves...which could be argued against if you have enough dosh??

Research is what is needed...can you 'go for it' Nick????

I am going to ask why they have taken so long then after that I may do some research, but you are probably right that they have got exist clauses.

But there seems to be land everywhere that is not being used or is just wild grass.

Maybe there is much higher demand for allotments because of the recession.

[Sanjo]

I have heard that the local govnment are supposed to by law provide allotments. Is this really true?

I have waited about a year for an allotment and still no allotment.

Try looking up "Small Holdings & Allotment Act 1908". Long winded but it might help.
There is a statutory requirement for local councils to provide allotments if six or more people prove a need. However, the fact that you have waited for a year surely means that your council already provide allotments. (I assume that you mean you are on a waiting list?)
Whether you could argue that they are not providing them in sufficient amounts is another matter. They may well use the excuse that they currently have no useable land left so you have to just wait until your name gets to the top of the list.
Have you registered with more than one allotment to increase your chances?

[Nick Blair]

Try looking up "Small Holdings & Allotment Act 1908". Long winded but it might help.
There is a statutory requirement for local councils to provide allotments if six or more people prove a need. However, the fact that you have waited for a year surely means that your council already provide allotments. (I assume that you mean you are on a waiting list?)
Whether you could argue that they are not providing them in sufficient amounts is another matter. They may well use the excuse that they currently have no useable land left so you have to just wait until your name gets to the top of the list.
Have you registered with more than one allotment to increase your chances?

There is a horticultural society that manages the allotments on behalf of my local council; they manage many allotments in my town. I am on the waiting list with them.

[Sanjo]

I don't have an allotment Nick or know much about the rulings but my gut feeling is that if there are already plots provided then they'll drag their feet sourcing any more.
Hopefully a more informative grape with knowledge of the rules will be able to help you with the law.
PS have you made any enquiries direct to the council regarding the allocation system.
I hope, since it appears to be the one horticultural society doing all the allocating that it isn't a question of "if your face fits" you get priority. It wouldn't be - would it?

[Flummery]

I suspect there's a bit about 'when suitable land becomes available' - and it never does does it? Because it's also suitable for building!

[green thing]

I've just got my plot after years of waiting
tried the six people thing and MP there is no time limit on them to provide you a plot
they just have to be seen to be providing plots
phone them up every week asking if there are any plots available
find disused plots send in photos asking why they are not being used .
some people have two plots and you will find a lot of plot are sub let by the tenants
so the waiting lists don't move
good luck
green thing

[northepaul]

I have been waiting 3 years and have hardly moved up the list - we rekon its about an 8-12 year wait round here

[weekendwellies]

my allotments are quite new, about a year, and I was really lucky to get one straight away when I phoned.
There are now about 10 people waiting for one to become available on my site.

However, most people like me, have only a half plot because we are all quite new to the game and a full one would be impossible.
My neighbour and another plotholder have decided to share a half plot as neither can manage their full half plot, does that make sense? One of them is moving her fruit bushes onto the others unused half-half.
Another man who had a full plot has given up, too much hard work for him, so there are now another 2 half plots available and the local community association is taking 1 half, so that will be used by a group of people, probably including the local school.

Try going to the allotments that you are interested in at random times, people go during the week, others in the evenings, and some at the weekends. Someone may well be struggling to keep a whole one going. See if anyone is prepared to share a plot with you to get you started. Then when one becomes available, and you have been chatting to folks around there, you may be able to jump in.

[BarleySugar]

We've been talking to our council about new allotments as there isn't any around here (for 4 years). The thing is, they've no money and if they don't own land they have to find some to lease. The law doesn't really matter, there's nothing to give a time frame, and it can't really be enforced. There's a lot of development going on around here, so there's not much land available. We are still looking, but if they have allotments in your area they are providing them, just not enough. Not much help I know, but at least you have a waiting list with some hope, we have a waiting list of 50 people for an allotment site that doesn't even exist yet!

[Davyburns]

I suspect there's a bit about 'when suitable land becomes available' - and it never does does it? Because it's also suitable for building!

I can vividly remember a chap being on the radio home service (yes, I'm that old) saying that the law came about because of a royal charter, and part of that charter is that there cant be any local authority building as long as there are more than 6 people waiting for allotments.

I only wish I could remember his name

[thecornflake]

I've only got one because it's a private one via this new company that buy land and then rent out plots on it. More expensive but there's water, toilets, free manure, lockable boxes etc. They only have the one site in Kent at the moment, maybe they'll do more if the business model works well.

When I asked our council 2 years ago there were 27 plots available but we had a baby on the way and I decided it would be too much work. A couple of months ago I asked again and now there's 20 people on the waiting list (I blame Nigel Slater etc!).