Topic: have I got any rights?

[ruffles.pip]

I have just received our local borough magazine and found out to my horror and dismay that our allotments are designated "residential land" in the future regeneration plans for our town. Have we any rights regarding this?

[kt.]

Providing more than 6 people want allotments in your area the council are obliged to provide. Though they could offer you plots in an area you may not want then at least they could say you refused if you did not take the offer.

[Old Central]

Ruffles

I think these things are normally based on a development plan. I suspect the key at present is to find out when this was revised and what the land was designated as previously.

Then lobby your councillors to get it designated as allotments for the next time it is reviewed. Don't delay invite them down to have a look and start lobbying them - remember your vote counts!

OC

[cambourne7]

its possible that this is part of the local development framework which is enforced on the council by gov quango

But they dont like bad publicity

[manicscousers]

Providing more than 6 people want allotments in your area the council are obliged to provide. Though they could offer you plots in an area you may not want then at least they could say you refused if you did not take the offer.

i agree that's what's supposed to happen, there are about 100 people in wigan waiting and no signs of the council doing anything about it, they don't even make the people who have them look after them properly !!

[arphamoe]

If the land is being designated for building, approach your local councillor and get him/her to insist that the developers provide space (if necessary using Section 106 agreements). They have a responsibility to do that and none of the councils like bad publicity. Another good avenue is to go through your local newspaper and raise the issue with them - they are always looking for good angles to sell the papers, and may even mount a bit of a campaign if there are enough of you to participate.

[Tin Shed]

If the allotments are a statutary site it will take years for the land to be taken as the council will have to apply to the Dept of the Environment/DPP [can't remember which] to get a change of use. Our site or part of it was earmarked for possible playing fields for a school reorganisation - we fought like mad, as did the schools who didn't want the reorganisation, got loads of publicity and what a surprise the council backed down - well found an alternate scheme!
Alternatively get crested newts and a badger sett - they are protected aren't they?

[farmgarden]

From the NSALG website (www.nsalg.org.uk):

 It depends if the allotment is statutory or temporary. Find out through your council if the land is statutory (land provided for the sole purpose of being used as allotment land).

If an allotment authority wishes to sell a statutory allotment site it must have the consent of the Secretary of State for Communities & Local Government who will first want to be satisfied of certain conditions.

Further information can be found on the Department of Communities & Local Government's website. 

[adamreith]

I don't know about the NSALG site, but the Government offers assistance and advice schemes if you want to take up planning issues, and under Planning Policy Note 17 local authorities must set out recrerational land areas in their development plans, and that land includes making allotment provision.