Topic: how wide should paths between allotments be

[brownowl23]

The reason I ask  I ask is that the paths between our allotments are less athan a foot wide and impossible to get a double buggy down ahich means I cant get down to the allotment without my husband, as he is stronger than me and can lift the buggy over other peoples plants.

We only took the plots, its a big one they have just split into two, in March and although we have cultivated a bit of it and already had fruit trees on both parts. WE have been failed on a cultivation survey for one of the plots.

We have been hampered in our diggin efforts by the fact that the last 8 weeks have seen us spending our time picking over 60lb of fruit. I didnt know a few strawberry plants a fruit canes could produce so much!

I am writing to the council to ask for more time before the next cultivation survey and am going to use the dreaded weedkliller this weekend to kill all that isnt fruit and veg. THis is something I didnt want to do, but necessary in terms of going anywhere near meeting thier target

Just wanted peoples views. As once we have everything dug keeping it under control is far more managable I know as ive had a allotment before.

[BarriedaleNick]

On our site it's 2 ft between plots and main paths 3 ft. 

[betula]

Welcome to A4A.

Ours are about a couple of feet.The contract does not say how wide ours should be.I remember the days of the dreaded double buggy.Not great for use on allotmemnts I can imagine.Hopefully you can ask someone on site to give you a hand.Not always someone around though maybe.

Spme of these targets are silly but better than letting plots go unworked for months on end.

Good luck with it.I admire people with young children having a go,I know I could not have done it. :)

[Sparkly]

We only took the plots, its a big one they have just split into two, in March and although we have cultivated a bit of it and already had fruit trees on both parts. WE have been failed on a cultivation survey for one of the plots.

Perhaps it could be a good idea to cover up uncultivated areas. At least that way it isn't getting worse and you can uncover as you dig. For us it is 2ft between plots as well.

[BAK]

our tenancy agreements have the somewhat exact figure of 27 inches?!

In practice, they vary between 2 and 3 feet.

[kt.]

6" left and right of a wheelbarrow width.  That way you can move the barrow without bashing into peoples fences and don't knock any plants they may have close to the boundary edge.  Paths for vehicle access are to be 10ft according to our site rules in the tenancy agreement.

[Fork]

My plot is split into two with a path down the middle.

The path is made up of 2 X 3 slabs.You can just about see them on the picture beneath the soil washed down by the heavy rain 

[Eristic]

impossible to get a double buggy down

I've heard a lot of excuses in my time but this is a new one.

Take the little b****ers out of the buggy and sit them on their grass, then lift the empty buggy over. Some of the newer models even fold up.

[betula]

It must be wonderful to be you Eristic.............an answer for everything.

You must let us know which attention seeking school you went to............they trained you well. :P

[PurpleHeather]

There is no law to say that they have to be a certain distance but it sounds barmy to me not to have them wide enough to get a wheelbarrow down.

Kids buggies are not heavy. Buy some reigns for the child if you are worried about  him/her running off.

Or do you have an older disabled child who can not walk? In which case you do have a problem.

[Flighty]

The paths on my site range from wide, flat and regularly mown to narrow, humpbacked and overgrown.
Having seen how a mum with one young child in a lightweight buggy struggles I imagine it must be nearly impossible with two in a double one.

Betula well said! xx

[Grant]

If access is required for a buggy or a wheelchair, size does not come into it.  Duty of care and provision, a path wide enough to suit the needs.

[Eristic]

It must be wonderful to be you Eristic.............an answer for everything.

No one ever helped me. If I want it done I have to find a way. We have the ability to think so instead of winging just stop and think about how to overcome a problem. As problems go, buggy access to the plot has to be at the bottom of the pile. It's just an excuse.

[Trevor_D]

Ours are two feet wide. And it's in the Terms & Conditions that plotholders have to keep them free of obstructions and regularly mown.

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

It must be wonderful to be you Eristic.............an answer for everything.

No one ever helped me.

ahem, isn't that what we're all here for? in our own little ways?

[Mr Smith]

When my new lottty neighbour turned up he started to dig right up to my allotment, I left him a very nice note and now like the rest of the allotments we have a path wide enough for our wheelbarrows, I  thought that going down to the lotty was an escape to get away from everything domestic, ;) 

[Digeroo]

I think it may be difficult to get established allotment holders to widen their paths.  

I think it is great that young families are taking an interest.  We have several young families.  One even has a play area for the toddler.  But I think that most of them are slightly older and manage to walk some of the way.  

We used to take our children around in one of those back carriers.  My husband sometimes used to carry one on the front and one on the back.

What about one on your back and one in a bicycle carrier.  You could take an old buggy down to the plot and leave it there.    Then you could walk down with a baby under each arm. 

Have seen films of nomads strapping their babies to camels?   ;D ;D ;D

[1066]

this also makes me think of kids at festivals with parents using wheelbarrows to push them around in, seen many a happy kid fast asleep in the barrow, with a full scale party going on around them !!  Mind you if the paths are too narrow you woudn't be able to get a barrow down them  ???

1066

[betula]

Eristic,I can understand why no one has helped you.People help each other all the time.............try it :)

[Eristic]

I help people all the time but only when help is needed. This is all an excuse not to take the kids out of the pram and put them back again. Just how hard is that?

You've all got to learn to fend for yourselves instead of sitting there crying.

This forum is not for help, it's for advice which I give freely and regularly. If I was on the plot in question I would happily pick the buggy up and carry it for the helpless waif but I'm not so I give advice instead. My advice is stop whining and get stuck in. She's making a problem where there is no problem. Women have been carting babes around for centuries without bother.