Allotment availability/ waiting lists in Newport, South Wales?

[muck heap]

Does anybody know if there are allotments available in the Newport or Cardiff area?
Or how long the waiting lists are in various places?
Thanks.

[chris]

Some were available a couple of months ago in Rhiwderin, Newport..

The site is on Trafalgar street if I'm not mistaken. I was tempted myself, as I believe it's the same situation in Cardiff (a forum user here has told me this), but in Caerphilly there's pretty big waiting lists. Roughly 2 years on most site lists I've been, and am still on.


Welcome to the forum, anyway

[muck heap]

Thank you for the welcome and the info chrismarks

Do you think people would be interested in a non-council allotment site?

I'm thinking of setting one up if enough people are interested.....

[chris]

I'd contact the council if I were you (Newport & Cardiff to find out the waiting lists - and perhaps average waiting list length per site, etc).. you'll probably find land in newport is cheaper than in Cardiff (I looked at land in Cardiff, and where I'm based - it's not cheap to buy or lease). Then check with Cardiff too, and see if you can find any private sites (I don't know of any, sorry).

If you're really serious about setting one up - have a search through the forum, it's been asked about a few times and there's some great information in there. If you're looking to make money from it, you'd best set aside years to break even, let alone turn over a profit. That said, you may already have the land

Places like landshare will have people looking for land, be worth checking out the surrounding areas for adverts/etc. Perhaps some posters/flyers could help gage interest levels too.

Where are you looking to set it up?

[muck heap]

Looking to set up Cardiff side of Newport - already have a site

[chris]

Chap I know on here is after a site in Cardiff - If you want to gage interest here (there's a few south wales folk around here) I'd post a new thread with a more direct subject..

People would be interested in facilities (toilets, water, shop), security, location, price, plot sizes, state of current ground.

For what it's worth, I paid £15 (including a £5 deposit for the key (security cut key)) for a 10perch plot in trethomas. A plot in Penryhol (have probably spent that wrong) of similar size is £22. Both have water, a shop and are secure. Half a plot is £12.

The site in trethomas was badly overgrown, and the second year would be free. Both sites had a trail period (3 months, and a month) where you needed to be seen to have made progress, or else you were turfed out.

You could phone the council-ran sites and say you'd be setting up private allotments, should they want to direct any users of their list to you.
Good luck though!

[muck heap]

Thanks Chris.
Are the prices you quote for the year?

[chris]

Yes. Generally, private sites are more expensive.. There's a thread in this forum I think about how much you pay for your allotment. Can't really search for you as on my phone now and takes too long.

Oh, one bonus for my new half plot is there's a parking area IN the allotment ground. I can drive right up outside my plot if I want too, which is great when I've a boot full of plants, or heavy stuff to lift out. The parking area fits probably about 4 cars.

In July's issue of the GYO mag there's a section on starting up an allotment site I believe too.

Edit: wasn't in this forum - but here's the link: http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ent_53424.html

This one may be of use too: http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...nts_26478.html

[muck heap]

Mmmm interesting reading... A place I pass on my way to work charges £5 for 90 square meters or £10 if you have a shed and a water butt for the same area. Not sure if they pay extra for water or if it is included.

[chris]

Are they the garden centre ones (Blooms, newport road)? If so, there's info on their website. I believe that it's a national scheme they're doing.. I used to live in that garden centre (lived pretty much by cardiff gate then - popped back the other day as I had some vouchers for it, it's chagned loads expanded quite a lot in the past year or so).

Feasible for them I guess as they've the land already and the income from that is pence to what they'd rake in from the garden centres!

Be interested to hear when/if you get it set up mind

[muck heap]

Well I think I will give it a try after finding out if there is any interest in it

will keep you updated

[The Goatreich]

Here's an old thread bump, but a google search brought it up so it's possibly still valid.

I'm looking to learn by experience from people that know what they're doing on an allotment. I don't have a massive amount of time, certainly not enough to run my own allotment, but I'd love to find a local community, or shared allotment that I could go along, muck in and learn from the others there about the best ways to grow fruit and veg successfully.

Does anyone know of such a thing in the Newport/Cardiff area?