Topic: Is it illegal to use carpet on an allotment

[barbaramaureen]

We have received a letter from our Parish Council stating it is illegal to use carpet on the allotment and it must be removed. It is not in our terms and conditions and I can't find anything that states it is against the law!!!  This has caused some worry especially to some of the older tenants.  Does anybody know if it is actually illegal or can it only be enforced if it is in the terms and conditions?  Any body had any experience of this?

[RenishawPhil]

I dont think its illegal as such however most allotments are now trying to get people to get rid of carpet

I think people should remove it as it is not good for the enviroment.

[BarriedaleNick]

It's not illegal as such but it may be a local by-law passed by your local authority.  There are a few conversations online and indeed on here about the use of carpets and the consensus seems to be that there is a possibility of carpets leaching chemicals into the soil. How real a danger this poses does not seem to have been the subject of any real research (I stand to be corrected!) but opinion is varied.  Personally I find that grass and weeds grow through carpet anyway and its a pain to get up once laid down.

I'd ask the council if they have passed any local by-laws or to quote the law of the land.  If they have passed a by-law then ask them if they will provide a skip or disposal service.  If they think it is dangerous I would say it is the councils responsibility to get it safely removed. Good luck with getting a response though.

[Obelixx]

I can see that synthetic fibre carpets or those with rubber underlay would be an environmental problem but can't see that wool or sisal or coco fibre carpets and matting would be of concern unless they've had an industrial chemical sprayed on to protect them at the time of manufacture.

[barbaramaureen]

Thanks for your views.   I actually think that carpets should be fazed out as weed suppressant but I object to the word illegal which has caused panic and worry to some people.  Pretty sure that there are no bye laws but I will ask them to quote the letter of the law to us, bet it is in the next set of terms and conditions though!!!!

[RenishawPhil]

Thanks for your views.   I actually think that carpets should be fazed out as weed suppressant but I object to the word illegal which has caused panic and worry to some people.  Pretty sure that there are no bye laws but I will ask them to quote the letter of the law to us, bet it is in the next set of terms and conditions though!!!!

yes put them on the spot!!!

[Chrispy]

Carpet is horrible stuff to get rid of, so I guess it could be classed as fly tipping.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Challenge them to cite the actual law, and see if they can do it!

I'm largely with them after having to dig a large area of carpet out of my plot when I took it on. The organic material in it had decayed, leaving an artificial fibre lattice with couch grass growing through it. Nightmare! However, nobody should be allowed to get away with citing legality without a law behind it.

[Tee Gee]

I don't know if it is legal or not but our council has barred them from all the plots under their control.

In our case I don't think it is actually on the 'Statute Book'  I think it is more a case of ' The New Broom' in the form of our new man in charge of allotments has taken it upon himself to bar them!

Perhaps you are in a similar position!

[gazza1960]

My neighbour is the site rep and has never commented on the carpet tiles I use to overwinter raised beds and once removed we use them as walkway coverage in the wet season(all year)then when the ground hardens I stack them for the following year.
Im sure if we could resource cheap natural path coverage,bark etc I'd do without them....that said our raised beds are not permanent fixtures as I like to move the frames around so we get to use every inch of ground in alternate seasons...plus I get bored looking at the plot growing areas in the same place each season.
GazNjude

[Borlotti]

Our Council banned carpet, but we did have a skip and it was hard work pulling them up and throwing them on the skip.  The reason they gave was because, in the good old days, they used to prepare allotments (they did mine) for the new tenants by clearing them with a big machine, with big blades, an expensive machine and when carpet was down it got caught in the blades and broke the machine.  With all the cuts they don't do that now, and new people have to clear the overgrown allotments themselves.  I can understand the logic of this because we have a motor mower and carpet it not good for it, when you don't know it is there and buried under weeds. We do get free wood chip delivered so find that better for paths.  Don't think it is illegal, just not a very good idea, probably cardboard rots down better.

[cornykev]

As Borlotti said it was banned in our borough but never inforced on our site, some use it to cover their compost heaps, some on paths and others just to keep the weeds down while digging other parts of the plots. It is dangerous when wet and have seen other plot holders as well as myself slip over on it, a carpet left will have weeds growing through it and will be murder for the next tennant to dig up. But illegal no, I think banned is the word they should be using but give peeps a season to get rid and supply a skip as Borlotti said, although we never had one on our site for that purpose, our local council rep looks in on here so he may have some input.   

[barbaramaureen]

Thanks for all your input. Very helpful.   Haven't been able to get a proper answer yet from the Council but I will come back to you as soon as I do.     

[digmore]

hello,
you may find that carpets are a no no these days under health and safety guidelines, due the toxins in them, which will leach down into the soil as the carpet weathers and breaks down.

we now ask that either new plot holders or established plot holders not to use and to remove existing carpets.

Digmore.

[squeezyjohn]

I inherited a plot covered in the stuff and agree that if just left there it's a nightmare to get rid of.  I've only just dug up the bit buried under 6 inches with nettle roots going right through it and it was back-breaking work.

However - I'm still using the intact pieces as good weed suppressant for the area not yet cleared of the perennial tangle of roots.  And by moving them regularly I hope they won't be a problem.  However they are now proving to be a cover for the vole problem I now have (see the vole thread).

By the end of this summer I will be glad to have taken it all to the tip!