Topic: Norwich Allotment Waiting list is a joke.

[twang20]

I've been on the waiting list for an allotment on Norwich's Bluebell North or South for 18 months. Which is fair enough as I know the estimated waiting time is 2 years. Im desperate to get a plot as im living in rented accomodation and cant plant anything long term, and I have very limited space.
I received a letter a couple of months ago to inform me that im number 154 on the list, I know that allotments are in demand nowadays but it did come as a shock to me. There cant be more than 10 plots changing hands a year so that turns the 2 years I was expecting into more like 15. So I began to wonder why it seems that people on the list just aren't getting the plots and yesterday it occurred to me whilst talking to my neighbor. His father in law is a long term allotment holder and he was giving him a hand to move a shed or something. My neighbor doesn't have his name down and as far as I know wasn't particularly looking for a plot, but a woman a couple of plots away told him she was leaving hers soon and offered it to him. I was outraged. Apparently she put his name down as a co-worker although he'd never met her before and he will now be taking on her plot when she leaves.
Whatever way you look at it this way of allotments changing hands is wrong and is the sole reason for the massive waiting lists all round the country.
Surely all it takes is to have a warden of some sort on the site to check that the person working the plot is the same person with their name on the deed, and if it is a 'co-worker' they should make sure that the plot owner is also working the plot on a regular basis.
I phoned my local council today to explain the situation, and they described the whole 'co-worker' thing as a loop-hole which they cant do anything about. They even suggested that I get friendly with some of the plot holders to see if I could talk my way into a plot of my own, despite the fact that there is a big sign on the gate saying 'allotment holders only' I wouldn't do this as it is unfair on people like myself who have been waiting patiently for months or years.
Something has to change.
 :-[

[Mrs Soup]

If the official system isn't working, you have two options. Try to get the official system working and join the unofficial system which is.

You could of course do both.

it appears that when waiting lists are centrally operated they don't seem to work as there is no one who cares what the plots are like as long as the money's coming in.

[huehueteotl]

I really sympatise with you! It gets my back up when I see unworked allotment plots which could be better allocated to some poor soul who is stuck on the waiting list >:( I also fail to understand why some newcomers are allocated two plots when really they should either have to prove they are capable of working one first, or supply some sort proof that they are experienced allotmenteers that have previously worked plots. I am often left bemused  ??? at the allocation systems in place as they often beggar belief.

[kt.]

Our site works differently.  Plots are allocated as people work their way up the list regardless of who they are.  Co-workers as you put it, have no rights on our site should the named tenant decide to give up the plot even if they have worked on it for 20 years.  The only way individuals can jump the queue is if the plot is handed to immediate next of kin.  This is laid down in the rules as part of the tenancy agreement.

You can voice this at your next town council meeting and request for the rules to be changed to close this loophole.  The loophole is there due to an oversight or from when allotments were in decline.  You could try and approach the allotment committee if you have one; but it is the council who make the rules.  The committee are supposed to enforce them.  Good luck.

[flowerofshona2007]

The trouble is in many ways the new wave of people suddenly wanting allotments !!
2 years ago the sites could not give the plots away and so many where in a very bad state ! In our area one site had half its plots sold off as there where so many empty (the money made from the sale went into improving the 4 sites in the area).
Now we have approx 300 on the waiting lists in this area but we do have a federation headed up by Peter Whiting !!  the head of the NSALG and we are puting huge amounts of pressure on the council as we have meetings with them every 6 months ! At the last meeting we asked again and they said they only had to look into new plots to be within the law !!! That was NOT good enough and we all went mad  >:(
They are now talking about extending 2 of the sites where it can be done and starting some micro plots for people to get going on.
All i can say is get your local sites together and put pressure on your councils ! remember they work for YOU !
Another idea is to contact your local National trust to see if they will be opening any allotment sites up locally :)

[buzzy bee]

I have waited about 2 years and now got a half plot.  I was a little surprised to find out that some people have 2 or 3 plots on the site.  I know that a few years ago they were doing a good thing keeping them in trim when no one wanted them, but now there are such long lists, it seems a bit unfair really. 

They are giving half plots to try and lower the waiting list, half is plenty for me, but the guy next to me has 2 or 3 full plots and they are not all used.  Today I was told that the boundry is about 6 inches further into the half plot I have than was orriginally agreed.  I am not going to get anoyed over these things, but it does make me feel some people should either use all of the space or have to give some of it up!

Cheers and just my oppinions, sorry if I have offended anyone.

Dave

[Robert_Brenchley]

It can be a difficult one, but if they're not using the plots then yes, they should have to give them up. The problem round here is that when people are threatened with eviction, they do enough to get the threat withdrawn, then leave it. So we have to start all over again, and it takes several years to get rid of them. If it's someone who's been on the site for years, and they're maintaining another plot, it gets even worse!

[cornykev]

Theres similar goings on at our site, we've had a good few newbies with people leaving and the bigger plots have been made into two plots but one of the smaller plots has been cut in half and you can bearly swing a cat. Others on site have 2/3 plots and there a mess, I know they've had warnings but as Rob says its not easy when they come back and do a bit, if they can't keep up then they should give a plot up and concentrate on the one, another thing that annoys me is their not there for months on end then all of a sudden the compost, woodchip or skip is on site and they come back to get their share but do nothing productive. BB I'm sure you won't offend anyone because I know peeps on here have more than one plot but I'm sure they maintain there's, when lotties weren't so popular some of these peeps took these plots on to show the council the sites are being worked, it would in my opinion be unfair to take them of these peeps, just the lazy gits who have them just for the sake of it and do bugger all to maintain one let alone more. Rant over.  :-X       ;D ;D ;D

[Unwashed]

Whatever way you look at it this way of allotments changing hands is wrong and is the sole reason for the massive waiting lists all round the country.

It depends on the tenancy agreement, but unless it forbids the assignment of the lease, then this way of allotments changing hands is perfectly fair and legal, in fact the out-going tenant could actually sell the lease to the incoming tenant, and I'm surprised we're not seeing more of that.  A lease is property, so why shouldn't the tenant sell it?

The practice has nothing to do with the length of the waiting list, though I admit it looks like queue-jumping.  Waiting lists are long because there are more people wanting for plots that there are plots available.  There's not much interest amoungst allotmenteers to campaign for greater provision because allotmenteers already have their plots, what it needs is for the people on the waiting lists to organise themselves and campaign for the creation of more allotments.