Topic: long waiting lists

[busy_lizzie]

Having an Allotment seems to be more popular than every before.  When I put my name down over three years ago at our site, there was only three people on the list, so we got ours within a couple of weeks. At our site at the moment, we have had to start breaking up the plots into halves, so more people have access to them.  We currently have 39 people on our waiting list which means a two years wait. busy_lizzie

[littlegem]

i've been talking to a couple of blokes form the plots and they say there is a bloke who has five! but is doing one blokes who has run off from his missus and doesn't want to do his plot anymore but can't find him. so i phoned the council and she gave me the site stewards number, which i phoned, they said he was away all week so i phoned again today and the woman said they had split up and didn't know where he was. so when it comes to - the plot that was being done by someone else was the site stewards who had run off with some other woman! nobody knows where he is, he has to tell the council himself he doesn't want the plot! but where is he, the guy thats doing his plot doesn't want to do it and i'm waiting for a plot there! its worse than eastenders!!! even though the council own the plots, its very much an inside job with it all, when you consider that one guy is doing 5 plots and there is no one on record with 5 plots! ??? very clicky!!!! >:(

[DenBee]

I finally got a reply from the land factor that deals with the allotments where I want a plot.  They are privately owned by a building company, and managed by the factor.  I wrote last August - no response - and again early this month.

Says they are all taken, and he will let me know when one is surrendered.  By which I assume he means there is no waiting list.

I walked through there tonight, and spotted two definitely badly neglected plots, and that was just in half of the site.  So I'm going to have to wait'n'see.  Luckily I've recently got a loan of a third of a plot from a chap who has a lottie on the same site, and can't manage it all.

[busy_lizzie]

Little Gem and Denbee, good luck with trying to get a plot.  It does seem unececessarily complicated and beaurocratic.  Don't give up though, I am sure the longer you persist the more the chances are you will get one.  busy_lizzie

[froglets]

I waited 2 years for my plot, but it was down to the Parish Clerk being rubbish at his job & only when he was done for embezzlement & a new chap put in did 6 half plots suddenly get allocated.

Our resident expert has 5 plots, but it's a tricky one.  I was "chief organiser" for a while when we were having trouble with the parish & I tried to get him to give one up.  He refused.  His view was, he paid for them & worked them all ( beautifully I have to say) and he took them over when no-one else wanted them, he's worked hard on the to get tillable soil ( heavy clay beside the railway lines - bl***y hard work) and put in the time & effort to stop the site becoming derelict & being handed back to the railway.

I can understand his view about he effort - I had to give up my plot when I moved and it's all overgrown now.  And insult to injury, my new council doesn't provide allotments.  Whaaaaaaaaaa.

[Fingle....]

Why after all these years are people suddenly getting interested ?
Its great for the allotment movement, but there seems to be something rather "sheepy" about it.

Is it a fad ? I hope not

[bupster]

Froglets, isn't your council legally obliged to supply allotments?

[froglets]

Hmm, not heard that one.  The allotments I was chief nagger for last time round were provided by the parish, but funded by an amenities grant from local funds.  They were rented from the railway for us and could clearly be handed back at any time - which was why I got involved to negotiate keeping them on.

I will phone the council again and see if I can nag this lot.......

[DenBee]

Don't take this as gospel (it's me starting from no knowledge to gaining but a little), but from what I've been able to find on the internet this morning, the Smallholdings and Allotments Act of 1908 places a duty on local authorities to provide sufficient allotments, according to demand.  As far as I can see, it hasn't been repealed, though it has been supplemented with later acts.  See this webpage. 

http://www.cheltenham.gov.uk/libraries/templates/havingfun.asp?URN=2093&FolderID=0

Worth checking it out if your local authority doesn't provide any.  Also check their website.  Ours has a section on allotments.

[littlegem]

an update re: quote below.
Spoke to the guy with 5 plots, very nice bloke, and his fellow allotmenteer. He doesn't want the plot and he's just been maintaining it anyway so the weeds don't go onto his next to it, which he no longer wants to do (76 yrs young and been ill) the site steward has been missing for nearly 3 years! and they said i should phone the council, tell them that the plot is being neglected and i should get it.!
Phoned the council and updated them. now you think they'd say, "oh right i'll do my best to sort this out for you" but no, she tried saying that there was a bloke who phoned a week before me although she previously told me he'd taken another plot so was off the list and i was first! I mentioned this, then she said that if plot was well kept there was nothing they could do, i then mentioned that it wouldn't be anymore and it wasn't him doing it anyway. she then said she might have to serve a notice, i then mentioned that it wouldn't be replied as no-one (including wife) knew where he was! she then said that she'd have to get a decision off this other bloke at council, i then mentioned that he'd already told me that she dealt with allotments!
I now realise that its's not always inside jobs with allotmenteers! they do actually want me to have the plot, and have already been offering me advise and seeds etc. its the council who can't be arsed, have no common sense and daren't do anything in case they get into trouble!! ??? >:(
She tried to find every excuse in the book as to why i shouldn't have the plot, and i have no idea why? ???

i've been talking to a couple of blokes form the plots and they say there is a bloke who has five! but is doing one blokes who has run off from his missus and doesn't want to do his plot anymore but can't find him. so i phoned the council and she gave me the site stewards number, which i phoned, they said he was away all week so i phoned again today and the woman said they had split up and didn't know where he was. so when it comes to - the plot that was being done by someone else was the site stewards who had run off with some other woman! nobody knows where he is, he has to tell the council himself he doesn't want the plot! but where is he, the guy thats doing his plot doesn't want to do it and i'm waiting for a plot there! its worse than eastenders!!! even though the council own the plots, its very much an inside job with it all, when you consider that one guy is doing 5 plots and there is no one on record with 5 plots! ??? very clicky!!!! >:(

[busy_lizzie]

Why have things got to be so much more complicated than they need to be?  Was the person you spoke to the Allotments Officer? Sounds as though she was covering her tracks who ever it was and hasn't been doing her job properly. You could always try to get your local councillor on your side to get it sorted out.  Stick with it! Be determined and persistant, and I would frequent the site a lot and keep a dialogue going with the other plot holders.   busy_lizzie

[SMP1704]

Little Gem

If you feel really strongly about this and refuse to be fobbed off, why not involve your local Councillor.  It is after all election time - my experience is that when a Councillor contacts council staff for info, they get a straight answer straight away.

My plot had not been worked for 2 years, but because the previous tenant had paid their annual rent, that was it as far as the Allotment Officer was concerned.

Good luck - persistence pays

[littlegem]

the woman at the council said there is nothing she can do, the steward has his rates up to date. and cos the plot is tidy (the other bloke has been cultivating it mainly to keep weeds down) they can't serve a notice.  So the blokes at the allotment said just do it anyway, at least it won't go to rack and ruin and no-one else has time to tend to it. they said as far as the council are corncerned, the steward is doing it, and as far as the steward is concerned, the bloke he asked to do it is doing it! if you can understand that. And that's the story we are all sticking to, i might be taking a risk, but the bloke on the allotment have got my back covered. Very impressed with their genorosity and support!
So tomorrow i'm going to get cracking with it!  ;D

[Spookyville]

in bradford they cannot give the plots away i rang one day got the site plan the next signed up day after had a whole choice to pick from were only about 20 occupied on the whole site

could you let me know how and where to go about it in bradford? also is there a list of sites anywhere?
thanks,

[saddad]

Just an Observation on this thread, the 1908 Act has not been repealed and places a statuatory (?) LEGAL obligation on councils to provide allotments if more than 5 people petition... We are a private site but the bit about councillors being a good start is valid. Even your local MP can put pressure on, ours is one M Beckett, and until her recent job change was most helpful! With Agenda 21 they would struggle to deny you, Area panel meetings are a good place to put your face in and get things moving!
 :)

[plimsoll plot]

i dont think more people are wanting allotments being just a fad, i think more people are sick of the rubbish they sell in super markets being taste less and no good after a day or so at home and also getting very expensive, they think why not grow them there self, i know i did and am i so glad i did , wish i had got a plot years ago , its my only form of exercise and boy after a hard day at work i no one way to chill out , down on the plot.

its cheaper then the gym , its more fun , learn new things all the time and get to eat and taste food how it should be.