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Are you waiting for an allotment
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hamster



Joined: 24 Apr 2007
Posts: 448
Location: Wokingham (Berks.), UK
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 08 1:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I was about 60th on the waiting list last summer, told it would be 'over a year or so'.

My environment group are pestering them for more plots, but I doubt there is any open space that hasn't been built on.

I've decided not to hold my breath and have an ambitious plan for my container vegetable garden in the meantime.

Barefoot Andrew
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 21 Mar 2007
Posts: 22780
Location: In the 17th century
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 08 2:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I was advised 'a couple of years' by both Parishes I enquired with. And one can enquire with local Parishes other than the one in which one lives - round here anyway.
A.

hamster



Joined: 24 Apr 2007
Posts: 448
Location: Wokingham (Berks.), UK
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 08 2:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Okay, I've just checked with the council and I'm now 22nd and it should be about 6 months more to wait.

Mrs Fiddlesticks



Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 10460

PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 08 2:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Behemoth wrote:
The council list is often 2 steps from reality. Butter-up an old codger on the committee.


very true.

But actually our site doesn't have a committee... just a manager and the parish council.

Fee



Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 15922
Location: Earth
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 08 3:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

hamster wrote:
Okay, I've just checked with the council and I'm now 22nd and it should be about 6 months more to wait.


Check again next month, then the month after, and the month after that

selfsufficientish



Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 364
Location: Bristol
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 08 4:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I had to talk about this very subject on the today program. It is disgraceful how little provision is put by for allotments. - I did a little research beforehand and there is the rule of 'adequate provision' where if 6 or more people lobby their council they have to supply some allotments.

I have heard of this being successful in some places, for example in Totnes a bunch of people dressed up as vegetables and turned up to every council meeting and patiently waited to the end or the "other business" bit of the meeting and asked about allotments. In the end 16 plots were given but there is still a waiting list of over 50.

If people are up for it I would love to join up with downsizer and start some sort of campaign to get people lobbying their councils nationwide.

gil
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18409

PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 08 4:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

We have the opposite problem - the council are very willing to provide allotments, but 6 people cannot be found in the town to take them on.

AnnaD



Joined: 12 Jun 2007
Posts: 2777
Location: Edinburgh
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 08 4:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I went on the waiting list last June and was 26th on the list. I checked more recently to see if we had moved, and we were told we were 27th! They had made a mistake with the numbers in the first place, so that was very depressing. It looks like we'll be waiting at least 10 years. But this is because there is only one allotment for the whole of Midlothian, which is a big place!

selfsufficientish



Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 364
Location: Bristol
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 08 5:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

AnnaD wrote:
I went on the waiting list last June and was 26th on the list. I checked more recently to see if we had moved, and we were told we were 27th! They had made a mistake with the numbers in the first place, so that was very depressing. It looks like we'll be waiting at least 10 years. But this is because there is only one allotment for the whole of Midlothian, which is a big place!


I wonder, when there is a waiting list of 27 then there are more than 6 people. If you can find the names of the 27 then why not all get together and ask for more plots?? Nothing to loose and an allotment to gain.

Jb



Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 7761
Location: 91� N
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 08 7:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

gil wrote:
We have the opposite problem - the council are very willing to provide allotments, but 6 people cannot be found in the town to take them on.


I had the impression that was an unusual problem these days. Or did they provide three plots on a piece of toxic waste ground just prior to saying that they had found there was no demand?

gil
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18409

PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 08 9:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

JB wrote:
gil wrote:
We have the opposite problem - the council are very willing to provide allotments, but 6 people cannot be found in the town to take them on.


I had the impression that was an unusual problem these days. Or did they provide three plots on a piece of toxic waste ground just prior to saying that they had found there was no demand?


It was, I gather, rather embarrassing for the group trying to get allotments organised - the petition they submitted proved to have been signed by fewer than 6 people, but by some under more than one name each. They were found out (it is a small town), so the project went on the back burner. Proposed plots are slightly out of town centre, but nowt wrong with the site IIRC.

Tay



Joined: 08 Oct 2006
Posts: 2811
Location: Newcastle-upon-Tyne
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 08 9:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

We had an allotment when we were in Kent. I simply called the main man, and we got one straight away. I should add that ours was very overgrown and needed a lot of work... there seemed to be a bit of a waiting list for the nicely 'manicured' ones.

AnnaD



Joined: 12 Jun 2007
Posts: 2777
Location: Edinburgh
PostPosted: Wed Apr 02, 08 5:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

selfsufficientish wrote:
AnnaD wrote:
I went on the waiting list last June and was 26th on the list. I checked more recently to see if we had moved, and we were told we were 27th! They had made a mistake with the numbers in the first place, so that was very depressing. It looks like we'll be waiting at least 10 years. But this is because there is only one allotment for the whole of Midlothian, which is a big place!


I wonder, when there is a waiting list of 27 then there are more than 6 people. If you can find the names of the 27 then why not all get together and ask for more plots?? Nothing to loose and an allotment to gain.


I think people have been trying to get a new lot of plots for ages, but the council won't do anything about it, which is very annoying. I think I'll be quicker waiting until we buy a house with a garden.

toggle



Joined: 30 Dec 2006
Posts: 11622
Location: truro
PostPosted: Wed Apr 02, 08 7:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Tay wrote:
We had an allotment when we were in Kent. I simply called the main man, and we got one straight away. I should add that ours was very overgrown and needed a lot of work... there seemed to be a bit of a waiting list for the nicely 'manicured' ones.


ours was seriously overgrown as well

cab



Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

PostPosted: Wed Apr 02, 08 8:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

selfsufficientish wrote:
I had to talk about this very subject on the today program.


I heard you! Well done

Quote:
It is disgraceful how little provision is put by for allotments. - I did a little research beforehand and there is the rule of 'adequate provision' where if 6 or more people lobby their council they have to supply some allotments.

I have heard of this being successful in some places, for example in Totnes a bunch of people dressed up as vegetables and turned up to every council meeting and patiently waited to the end or the "other business" bit of the meeting and asked about allotments. In the end 16 plots were given but there is still a waiting list of over 50.

If people are up for it I would love to join up with downsizer and start some sort of campaign to get people lobbying their councils nationwide.


I wonder though, if there are plots already does this still apply? I mean, is it as simple as six people are on the waiting list so the council has to provide more if they lobby together? Surely it can't be that easy?

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