Topic: North/South Divide

[Davy]

Is there a kind of apathy about allotments in the North East?  It may be just the site that I have recently acquired a plot.  The council did not want any rent for a year, plot lying idle.  There are 22 plots on the site 4 of which are being worked.  I went to the Durham County show last month where a stall was set up about organic gardening the lady at the stall explained that use of allotments were thriving in city areas but declining in areas such as the North East.  What's all that about??

[Icyberjunkie]

No idea but may not be as big a divide as you think.  Some friends of mine near Southampton lost theirs to housing because only a few were being worked.

[Svea]

davy,
your mission, should you chose to accept it, is to convert your friends, family, neighbours and colleagues to the allotment way.

;D

[Piglottie]

Not sure about Durham area, Davy, but down here in Hull, East Yorkshire there is a growing interest in allotments.  Our site, which had a lot of overgrown plots, is now full - granted, not sure how many people will be back after the initial interest has waned but there seems to be a core of newbies sticking at it.  There are other sites in the city though that are overgrown and others which have been lost to housing.  The sites where there is a good community feel and support for allotmenteers (ie shop, committe, advice, friendliness etc) seem to be doing well.  I think the Council here could do a lot more to promote allotments.  However, local community groups have taken over some sites and in a site in another part of the town, there is great work going on whereby a community group has been set up, they clear plots, help newbies with planting etc, have volunteers who build compost bins/wildlife stuff like nest boxes, and communal plots where people can just do a little bit of growing rather than take a whole plot.  I'm sure there's loads of other initiatives around.  Its whats need - if you're one of only a few plot holders on a neglected site, I can imagine it could get difficult to keep up the enthusiasm.  Where as for me, I go down to my plot and there's always someone around to help out and ask advice, and there's always old timers plots to admire and aspire to. 

Sorry for the ramble  :)   Hope things pick up in your area soon!

[moonbells]

Davy, if you want to get local enthusiasm up, drop a line to the local rag, asking them if they would be interested in a series of articles eg monthly about grow-your-own,where you write about what you have done. People will see what allotmenteering takes, especially when you 've also got small people ;), and the council will probably find themselves inundated.

Four years ago when I got my plot, not that many were taken and a lot of those which were taken were not actually cultivated.

Enter several people who decided to hold an open day and bring allotments back onto the main council agenda. Now we have only 6 plots left untaken (though several are deemed unworkable at the moment) and another Open Day next weekend.  I'd be very surprised if we didn't have a waiting list in a month.

moonbells (who is very glad she got her second half plot before the rush!!!)

[busy_lizzie]

Davy, Don't know where you mean in the North East, because here in Tyneside, allotments are in great demand.  We have almost 20 people on our waiting list out of a site of about 140 and I think in the majority of the sites I know about in our area, a waiting list would apply too.  I did a feature last year on our Tyneside allotment Officer in the Lottie Newsletter I used to publish, and he said the allotment scene in this area has never been more vibrant. I have contact with some Newcastle allotments and they too seem to be thriving.  
 
I have heard that one or two Sites in Durham were under threat, and some suspicion was laid at the  door of the local authority and the rush for land for housing, but think that would apply to a lot of places in the country. In my experience standing in for the Secretary last year, younger people and woman are seeking allotments more than at any other time.  So I don't see any evidence here that people don't want allotments, quite the contrary.  Would be interested to know where your lottie is.  busy_lizzie  

[amphibian]

No idea but may not be as big a divide as you think.  Some friends of mine near Southampton lost theirs to housing because only a few were being worked.

Apparently the council were seeking permission to develop my site when suddenly a whole phalanx of allotment newbies turned up and took up plots there, now plans have been abandoned.  ;D

[Icyberjunkie]

Nice result amphibian. MY friends tried that and even cultivated lots of vacant plots but still lost  :-[

[Davy]

The lack of apathy does not appear to be about persons taking on a plot more about persons taking a plot on and then doing nothing with it.  The site is in Seaham Harbour six miles south of Sunderland.

Chap at council reckons there are 15 people renting sites but not working them.  He's won't ask them to give up cause they're still paying the rent and there's no waiting list.

The council have offered materials to erect a boundary fence and asked the plotholders to put the fence up to they declined so the money for these materials then went elsewhere.

Meetings have been held to organise a committee and association but no-one attends. 

I have my plot currently covered with bits of old carpet, cause it was in a right state and hope to start working in the next year once I've turned the soil and put up my fence.

I have met with the council officer responsible for the plots on two occassions where he has been very helpful, loaned me bits of kit and offered to get the probation lads in to help me out. 

Am I missing a trick here?

What do you do to get these people involved?

[wardy]

It's a real problem to get people motivated to do anything.  We recently got together and cleared one plot ready for lotty open day.  This was the only one out of about 7 which got let so now we have to clear the rest.  It will be the same folks though clearing all those as well.  Some people seem to exist in a vacuum and never help or have anything to do with anyone else unfortunately.  I think that's their loss though  :)  My particular voluntary group have a great time and we always have other family members we can call on if we're short.  We combine volunteering with having some fun so if we have a gruelling day we end up in the pub and roll home happy.  We'll be having a party on the plot to celebrate allotment week and to reward ourselves for working hard as volunteers all year  :)

[busy_lizzie]

Davy, We are sell managed which must make a difference, but our committee inspect the plots the first Sunday in every month here.  If a plot is not up to scratch the plot holder will receive a letter asking them to tidy the plot.  A fortnight after that someone from the Committee will inspect it again, and if nothing has been done, then another letter will go out warning them that if nothing is done they are liable to get a "notice to quit".  At the next inspection if still nothing has been done then the plot holder will be given "notice to quit" , and the plot will be allocated to the next person on the waiting list.  I believe even Council owned sites have some sort of inspection policy to keep plots tidy.  busy_lizzie   

[wardy]

I wish ours had.  They would if I was in charge  ;D   The plot next to mine is so deep in grass and weeds you can barely see the shed. The bloke who is on there is a squatte and pays no rent.  The lotty guys know but he's still there ....think I'll stop paying mine  :(

[SnooziSuzi]

Davy, where is your lottie site?  we've got a waiting list of 9 but if you're nearby then I could let folks know so that you get more interest.

Are you association or council run?  if association, have you thought about advertising the empty plots?  Probably not a lot of folks know there are available plots to rent....?

[kt.]

The lack of apathy does not appear to be about persons taking on a plot more about persons taking a plot on and then doing nothing with it.  The site is in Seaham Harbour six miles south of Sunderland.

What about trying to get an ad in the Ad-Mag, Northern Echo & any local free papers. A few posters in and around local shops maybe?

Would the council send in the workers with petrol strimmers, mini- tractor grass-cutters etc to cut the thick of the grass. You could then spray it to kill off any remaining weeds. Then have your open day so people could see the potential as they would be able to see the ground.     Just a thought.

[busy_lizzie]

Our allotment site in Whitley Bay now has a waiting list of 140, almost more than we have plots on our site. So, where we are, allotments are worth their weight in gold. I think it is worth publicising spare plots in the local newspapers or even having some sort of event when the season takes off to get people on to the site to drum up interest. There should be some system in place to check that those that do have plots are looking after them. As KT says perhaps the council can be more proactive in giving a bit of a tidy to the site initially. busy_lizzie