English Allotments Survey

[tabbycat]

Did anyone else notice this seemingly innocuous statement in the June issue of "The Garden"?

This followed a short article about funding for "the oldest & largest recognised allotment site in Britain" in Nottingham.

"The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is carrying out the English Allotment Survey. Information gathered from questionnaires completed by allotments authorities will give a more accurate picture of the local environment across England"

Does anyone else find this vaguely sinister? Isn't Two Jags the man who wants to build houses over everything?

Someone out there on the boards is bound to be able to enlighten me about this and then I can take my "conspiracy-theorist" hat off!! ;D

[tabbycat]

[DenBee]

I don't know, except that the newspapers seeming to be making something of the government using satellite technology to spot everyone with huge gardens in order to sequester them to build housing.  But I don't believe everything I read in the papers either.  ;)

OH did stop me making a fuss with the local council though when I applied for an allotment on a privately (very large building company)-owned site and the managing agent said there weren't any, even though strolling around them and peering through hedges seems to indicate around a 10% level vacancy.  He said if I started saying to the council that the allotments weren't being fully used, they in their turn might start asking questions about possible alternative uses.  :-X

[tabbycat]

I saw the satellite technology article too. My MIL insisted on reading out to me as we've just had an extension built and it was talking about the Government using the aerial photos to find out who's had what done and upping the council-tax on relevant properties.

The whole reason we extended was because we can't afford to move & our council tax is way high as it is.

She mentioned the big gardens bit too. Surely they don't intende to force people to give up their land? Mind you, wouldn't put anything past this lot - they all seem to make the rules up as they go.

It's a catch 22 situation about contacting the council isn't? In one way you may have got a site & raised awareness so that others did too, OR you may have set the cat amongst the pigeons and got them thinking about how many " Executive Lifestyle Apartments" they could be cramming onto the land.

Sad isn't ? In our town (Woking) we have had so many beautiful Edwardian houses with lovely mature gardens bulldozed to make way for flats. The more flats they build, the more they meet their housing targets, but it's a real loss to the character of the area.

tabbycat

[saddad]

When we looked at buying this house in 1992 the big garden was the selling point, and the allotment over the back fence, there was a nicer house but they wanted 25% over the price for the garden which was the only one on the road which hadn't been cut in half by new building!
>:(

[scotch-mist]

Hi Tabbycat, (love the name ;)
maybe I'm just a suspicious bugger, but I reckon the government are always up to no good :o

I dare anyone to try taking MY land for building >:( >:( >:(

I bought this house on an acre site for privacy, and to grow things,
The interest rate at the time was 15% and both my oh and I had to work 72hrs and 81hrs respectively just to pay the mortgage and bills  :o

Now things are getting easier and we can afford luxuries   Like........having kids,
No-one will take  anything belonging to me >:(   

RIGHT...........rant over........sorry everyone  :o  ;D

[RSJK]

Well said scothch mist, I would not trust this goverment to tell me what day it would be tomorrow,

[Robert_Brenchley]

Blairsday of course.

[redimp]

It's about time we had a good socialist government but all three leaders are pale blue and about as honest as Robert Maxwell. >:(

[scotch-mist]

Is it just me or is Tony Blair toooooooo smiley to be trusted?

I always get the impression he is trying to convince me he can be trusted,
and the harder he tries , the less I'm convinced.

As my Granny used to say "he's so sweet , he makes my teeth squeek  ;D ) "
or another was "too sweet to be wholesome "

Hey, Redclanger,  Maybe I should run for pm ?  ;D ;D ;D

I'd soon sort them out  :o

And wait and see what I'd do to the toe-rags who break into other
peoples property >:(               ;D ;D ;D

Oh man , youve started me off again  ;D ;D ;D

[Robert_Brenchley]

He welcomes little fishes in with gently smiling jaws.

[scotch-mist]

;D ;D ;D
Well said Robert