Topic: Got a letter.....Gutted!

[daisymay]

We have not been devoting as much love and attention to out plot in the past year since we had a baby, especially as I have gone back to work now. On Saturday we recieved a letter from the council threatening to evict us as there are too many weeds on our plot! Gutted!  :o

I love the allotment and it still provides us with the majority of our veg, most of the time, which is all I ever wanted to achieve when we got it. It means SO much to me to be able to feed our baby home grown organic vegetables.

We have 14 days in which to appeal the decision and provide a written plan of what we are going to do about it. He chose a great time to do an inspection though, end of September when a lot of crops have finished, but winter digging hasn't started yet!

Then in the local paper there is an article about one of the other allotment sites in our town being under threat from developers and the council evicting people and not giving the plots to new people from the waiting list, so the allotment appears underused. Hope this is not the start of more to come.

I think the whole plot is going to be too much for us to manage for a couple of years, so was thinking of covering a section. Any hints and tips on cheap places to buy tarp or good quality weed membrane etc.. would be great??

DM  :'(

[Old bird]

Hi DaisyMay

Pick yourself up from the floor Girl!  They are not evicting you - they are acting responsibly - giving you time to remedy the situation.

There are a number of things that you can do!

Firstly - if the plot is too big for you to do the whole thing - consider cutting it in half and letting someone else (either from the Council or your friends) do the other half.

Secondly - write to the Council - they are normal people like you and me - they have babies too and will understand the pressure that people like yourselves are under.

Don't worry yourself about the bigger picture of other allotment sites being under threat - currently all you should be concerned about is yours!  It is unlikely in the current economic climate and also the major swing by the Government to improve allotment facilities.

Is it possible that between you you could both gather a few friends and do a major clean up?  I understand that winter digging has not started yet and you can say that in your letter.  They will, I am sure , be understanding when you explain your position.  But in the meantime I would consider letting either the Council or yourself letting someone have some of the plot (possibly short term) until you are more able to cope!.

Cheer up - they are not kicking you off - but it is a major wake up call to you!

Best of  luck

Old Bird
 :o

[caroline7758]

It might be worth checking whether other people on your site have also had letters- that might be a sign tht they are trying to empty the site!

[kt.]

We have not been devoting as much love and attention to out plot in the past year since we had a baby, especially as I have gone back to work now. On Saturday we received a letter from the council threatening to evict us as there are too many weeds on our plot! Gutted!  :o

I love the allotment and it still provides us with the majority of our veg, most of the time, which is all I ever wanted to achieve when we got it. It means SO much to me to be able to feed our baby home grown organic vegetables.

We have 14 days in which to appeal the decision and provide a written plan of what we are going to do about it. He chose a great time to do an inspection though, end of September when a lot of crops have finished, but winter digging hasn't started yet!

You say  you have not devoted as much time since the birth of your child.  Was one of you still able to get down weekly, even for a little while?  Also, you have said your plot still provides you with the majority of your veg but also say September is a bad time to inspect due to most crops finishing.  What about winter veg such as brassicas - caulis,  cabbage,  sprouts,  PSB,  swede - all of which should be in full swing with their growth for the winter harvests. 

Do you have any photos taken this year of your plot or proving progress you made before receiving the letter.  This could be part of your defence.  I would also be pointing out all the rain and bad weather we have had is no place for a baby to be out.  It is certainly a case of finding the balance between the plot and family life.  Maybe a 1/2 plot would be best for you.  I do not think the council would be overly impressed if you just covered the plot to hide the weeds so to speak.  Tell them everything positive you have done with the plot this past year since your child was born. 

I agree with OB that they are giving you a final opportunity to make a decent go of your plot.  As a starting point from here - I would get some ground cleared and some overwintering onion sets planted.

[daisymay]

Hi

Thanks everyone, you have cheered me up!

We are not doing much over winter stuff this year, just have some sprouts and broccolli in. We had actually planned to get it back under control anyway, we had resorted to spraying a few areas about 6 weeks ago and this has all died back now.

My OH has spent 6 hours there this weekend, digging and clearing a couple of sections. We had a walk around the whole site and ours is by no means the worst, in fact ours is one of the better ones.

I emailed the guy from the council and explained we have had a  baby and the weather has been horrible etc... and promised to dig it over in the winter. I pointed out the work we have done with the plot. 

They don't do 1/2 plots and ours is one of the bigger plots there. I have been looking into some green manures and spotted one which stands for 2 years:

http://www.organiccatalog.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=21_51&products_id=1613

so am thinking about this for a section, although could be a little late to sow it.

[Bean_Queen]

Well, congrats on your new baby.
Personally, I am glad you got a letter - too many plot holders let their plots get out of hand and neglected. The plot next to me hasn't been seriously cultivated for 10 years (people come, dig a bit and then give up).  I have to keep fighting their brambles & bindweed which creeps under the fence.

I love my plot, but back pain is making it a chore not a pleasure these days, so I have decided to give half of it over to someone else.  It's a gentleman's agreement, as we don't "do" half-plots on our site.

I'd rather it was used to grow veg than left dormant, to be honest. The waiting lists are long, and it would be selfish of me to hang onto land that I won't use

[newbies]

I had a similar letter from my society, and was very embarrassed!  I've not had time to go down much, due to the rain and building work, and just family life.  However, I took it in good spirit and have made the time to go each week. 
It certainly gave me a kick up the backside, which was very needed!
 ;)

[Solorn]

I knew that a whole plot would be too large for me to cope with on my own even before I applied for one. I formed an agreement with my Mum, an avid gardener, and we are working the plot together. It makes sense to work with someone else if your new to allotments or don't feel you can manage a large plot. Talk to friends and family and see if any of them want a bit of land:) If all else fails, take baby with you. The fresh air and sunshine won't do them any harm and you get some time to potter around and get some excercise too.

[elvis2003]

this thread has hit home to me,as a newly appointed co secretary we have had to issue letters to plot holders that have been neglecting their plots,and trust me.it aint nice to have to do so!everyone has different circumstances/life styles ect.however,in the case of a new baby coming along its surely a bit different,after all, maternity leave is given from work isnt it,so in my opinion it should apply to plots too.
in this case i agree,a half plot,however you can do so,is a great compromise for all involved,whether it be within yourselves,as someone  else suggested,a a gentle mans(womans!)agreement.congratulations on the new lil one and i  wish you all the best
rach
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