Topic: 135 uncultivated/18 available

[isbister]

There are 270 plots on our site and I'd say about half of them are uncultivated. Hardly a weekend passes without two or three dejected people wandering around, map in hand, looking for a site. They say that out of the 135 odd dilapidated plots only 18 are available, these being the ones with head high brambles and a foxhole or the ones used as a dump for decades which the council refuse to assist in clearing up. There' seems to have been a bit of a land grab in recent years where allotments are concerned by people whose motives are a mystery to me. They'll pitch up, dig over a couple of square yards and then vanish. Our site is clearly very badly run by a council who arn't the least bit interested because these people should be weeded out and their plots handed over to those who really want them. Has anybody else got a similar situation on their site?

[arphamoe]

Have you tried speaking to your local councillor? He should be able to shake up an idle or incompetent department of the Council if he is any good.
What is the situation with an Allotment Association on the site? Is there a Committee you could galvanise into action?
If not, have a look at your tenancy agreement and see whether there are any conditions that you could try to have enforced.
It seems such a waste in your circumstances - what does the local press think about it? What about the immediate neighbourhood residents? Ask them what they think about the 'dereliction' and see whether they would like to help regenerate things.
You have my sympathy (no that that achieves anything!) but I would be pleased to help if I could, even from the Midlands, having previously lived in your area. :( :( :( :(

[Kepouros]

Being somewhat of a cynic I would suggest that the people with the uncultivated plots are `moles` planted by the Council for the purpose.  Enough uncultivated plots and the Council will then try to sell the site to a developer.

[cambourne7]

you can ask for a plot inspection of the site.

THis should be done yearly anyway.

[isbister]

Thanks for replies. I'm going to do my own site inspection at the weekend to find out exactly the number of uncultivated plots and, as arphamoe suggests, start making trouble with the local council. I expect though that a plot covered entirely with weeds and couch apart from 2sq ft cleared and planted with a parsnip or two will count as "cultivated". I read of a site somewhere where new plotholders are put on probation - if they havn't made enough progress after 3 months they're shown the door. That sounds a very good plan.