...assuming that there is an available plot on a site?...and are these enforced by laws?
Site is owned by local parish council, but managed by an association.
It's very vague. We have refused to give people plots before because of their behaviour on other sites (i.e. caught stealing) but otherwise we would be in trouble with the council if we couldn't prove a valid reason (i.e. had been a problem tenant before or something provable). You can't be refused simply because the committee 'think' you couldn't work a plot for example. Maybe a few more details would help.
I had a plot at the site but my agreement was terminated in November last year. I couldn't get down to the site to do work for the latter part of the summer & autumn as we had housing troubles that took up all of my spare time (landlord didn't pay the rent & was taken to court for repossession of our house). They gave no warning that they were unhappy with the site at that time, & tbh I don't understand why they had a problem as the site was strimmed several times by relatives to keep the couch from seeding.
I appealed to both the council and the association (there seems to be some confusion as to who actually decides what) and it was very upsetting tbh. The site secretary basically said they didn't care what my problems were and I should be down at the plot as it was the best time of year to do work on it. I wasn't very polite in my reply to that so maybe that's why they have a problem...?
In the end I had to just let it go as I didn't have the time to fight it or figure out who had decided what & got on with packing & preparing for xmas afterwards (we moved house 2 weeks before Christmas).
My husband went down to look at a half plot this morning that they have available & as soon as he was recognised as my husband was told that he couldn't have it >:(...can they refuse him because I have had problems in the past?
I don't know about the technical side of things - but I would expect them to prioritise people who were likely to be committed - and, be honest, if you were in their shoes would you prioritise someone who, from their point of view, gave up last time?
It doesn't sound like they're very touchy-feely though, and you have my sympathies!
Good luck!
That wouldn't happen on our site. If someone has a genuine reason why they can't get down for a while, we're happy to give them plenty of time. We do clamp down eventually, but it takes ages to get to that point. How long had you been on the plot?
It seems very unfair that just one summer and autumn that you were unable to tend your plot should get you blacklisted. Surely their response to your reasons for not getting the work done would have been met with some sympathy and suggestions for helping you over a sticky patch? Not a nice council/association. Would they have reacted differently if you had been hospitalised or broken a leg or something physical? How do they deal with other people who let their plots go?
:( :( :( :(
That's the really annoying thing though - they haven't got anyone else more committed using my old plot. No-one did any work on it in December/Jan, despite them saying they had someone wanting to start straight away >:(. I have since found out it has been taken over by the next door plot holder, not a newbie...and according to other people on the site they haven't actually increased the productivity of the site at all...if anything they've decreased it as they appear to have dug up all the currants & raspberries ::)
Er, come on now, spill the beans, what did you say in your letter?!?!
IS the person who's got it chummy with the committee, by any chance?
Yes Ollie they are friendly with the secretaries. There does seem to be something of a clique on site....the old boys on the one side & the secrataries & their 'friends' on the other....and it does seem like you have to be in the right clique as some get their plots looked after when they are ill & some don't.
I got the plot since 2006. It's been a frustrating couple of years as we had to move in the autumn of that year as well & they seemed happy to give us the time then...so maybe they don't think we should have any more allowances....or maybe they just don't believe what I told them...or they haven't moved house in so many years themselevs that they've forgotten just how stressful it is when it's planned, let alone when it's forced upon you due to a court agreement....
....sorry I'm getting stressed about all this again....everything was going so well so far this year & now this has got me all depressed again :'(....something out there really doesn't want me to grow any veg...maybe I should just sell my soul & buy my own patch of land
I would take it further make a formal complaint to the council and that the head of the association was not willing to help etc, i think that is very bad and unfair our lottie place is the same as many others if you cant make it for a valid reason they give you 12 months and if theres no sign of work done they then phone you and ask you what are you going to do with the plot etc.
if failing that find a new site im sure theres one not far ;D
chin up and good luck ;D
Cheers thegoodlife....I'm going to ring the council in the neighbouring town tomorrow as I know they have loads of sites & hopefully they will have something available...but as DH is using our only working car for work atm I wouldn't be able to do more than the odd Saturday there and would have to leave my lovely son at home with hubby as he wouldn't cope with a whole day at the plot.....so much for using the allotment to supplement his education & walking over every morning to do an hour or so of work ::)
..deep breath...calming thoughts....off to try some yoga
We had elderly Gentleman on our site who fell and broke a few bones so he was unable to cultivate his plot for quite along while. We didn't kick him off instead we all mucked in and did his plot (under his guidance) for him.
It all depends on the circumstances how we treat people. I think compassion is missing in many cases these days.
...sounds like you all have lovely lotty commmunities out there...how kind of you & your fellow plot holders powerspade - hope the gentleman in question has recovered well :)
I've called the other council & they don't normally give plots to non-residents...but I got the numbers of some site secretaries anyway, so I'll see how I get on...
Thanks for letting me let off some steam ;)
Hi Sazhig
Unfortunately it looks like a lack of communication on your part in the first instance to tell the council that you were struggling to cope and would be back in the spring!
I can understand Councils getting stroppy with people that don't look after their plot and it sounds like you struggled the year before. Without letting them know what the reason is - they assumed that you were not up to the job and so evicted you.
There is a big demand in most areas for allotment plots so the pressure is also on the Councils to be seen to be taking a tough stance against people who do not appear to be tending their plots.
Incidentally sazhig - couch grass spreads through the soil as against seeding (it probably does that as well) but unless you tackle it head on you have a hell of a problem getting rid of it.
I understand that you are upset but you didn't help your cause by losing your tempter and being rude!
Good luck in your future search - I cannot help but think that if you have to travel any distance then the next plot will be uncultivated (as your last one) as you haven't got access to transport on a daily basis.
I am sorry - I call a spade a spade - and am not very sympathetic - you caused your upset - not the council. Even if you have "housing problems" a couple of hours up the lottie a week wouldn't have interfered with sorting your housing problems being activated. Moving house is stressful - but it doesn't take 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
Old Bird
Come on Old Bird give the girl a break................. :)
You are right Betula!
But look also at the people on this site that are desperate to get a lottie and can't get one because people are hanging onto theirs and not cultivating them as has apparently been the case for sazig. It is two years worth of neglect Betula!
Sorry to be so direct and hard hearted Sazhig!
Old Bird
;)
That's the thing though Old Bird, we did communicate our difficulties - admittedly not directly to the association...but via family who also have a plot at the site...the lack of warning letter assured me at the time that they didn't have a problem...I suppose a phone call from myself to the council/association would have been better...but hindsight is always 20/20...
..and if there is such a huge demand for plots round here, how come my plot got given to another plot holder? ...I would have been happy to give up the plot last month when the agreements were all up for renewal if I hadn't managed to devote enough time to it after we had moved...but they wouldn't reconsider & insisted that it was needed then in November :(
...and yes moving house in itself doesn't normally take 24/7.....but trying to finding a solicitor to take on a legal aid case, trekking back and forth to their offices 10 miles away signing all the forms & legal documents filling out legal aid forms, trying to find a landlord who will accept a family on benefits and trying to get information on emergency council housing (at a time when the entire county's housing stock, including tenporary B&Bs was full due to the flooding), sorting out all of your belongings dividn them into sell & keep boxes because you don't know if you will have anywhere to put them because you don't know how the court cases will go etc etc does take up a lot of time and effort...alongside looking after a 3 year old who doesn't understand why all his toys are in boxes yet again or why his parents are so stressed. Unless you've been through it yourself you cannot imagine the exhaustion and stress....believe me I would have much rather been tackling the couch grass!
Sazig I do hope all of this is behind you now and you can concentrate on the nicer things in life.
Life is not easy sometimes and it is hard to cope with it all.
Best of luck :)
Cheers betula...
I did have a bit of a wobble recently as our tenancy for our current place was up for renewal...but we've had the new contract though to sign this week so it's looking like a more long term home for us to relax in....I feel like my life has been on hold for the last 2 years & it's been nice to get on with stuff again....I guess the growing part of my life will just have make do with pots on the decking for now :)
Sazhig
I am sorry for all your woes! Certainly can't be much fun for yourself or the children. But as you say - had you told the council of your difficulties - they would probably have listened sympathetically and noted that maybe later this year you would be sorting out your plot!
I understand that the stresses of being evicted from your house as well as coping with finding legal aid solicitors being on benefits and a new home must also have been depressing and stressful. But there are still two adults in your household - and it would probably have done either you or your partner good to get out in the fresh air and use up some of that pent up frustration on digging the plot.
At least, being on benefits, you didn't have to fit working your lottie in with going to work like a lot of us have to. I work full time as I think a lot of people on this site.
As I said previously, I cannot see that you will fare any better if you get a plot on a site further away as you don't have the transport to get there! There is another thread on this site about a lady that has been evicted from her site as the council boundaries have changed and she is on the wrong side so maybe they would only give allotments to people in their "locality".
Good luck with your search though - and if you are lucky enough to get a plot - treasure it - work it and hopefully your life will look up too.
Old Bird
Couch does seed, and regular cutting is a viable way to control it; not many things can gope with that sort of treatment.
Saxhig,
Do not despair ,Pots can be great for Veggie growing.Have a go.
I am a great skip lurker and you will probally find lots of containers if you too become a skip lurker.You can pretty them up with shells etc if you feel a bit artistic.
On the med you quite often see flowers and plants grown in things like old coffee tins and old cans.
Make that decking beautiful this summer and don't despair about a plot,I have found in life that normally something good turns up ;D
Thankfully, after 2 years of unemployment my husband is now working...but the hours he did back then aren't disimilar to those he did whilst job hunting - that was a full time job in itself. The Job Centre take a rather dim view of people not actively looking full-time, as they should. Not everyone on benefits is a layabout you know...
For what it's worth though, I agree with you about taking on a plot further away because of the transport issue...and am hesitating until I've worked out exactly how it would work....but if it's our only option then what choice do we have? We wanted a plot we could walk to easily which was why we enquired about the smaller site in our area which is about 200 yards from our house. Before we'd even heard for definite that it was full (as expected as it is the better site) the other site (my old one) actually called us asking if we were interested in having a plot there...which tells me they aren't exactly swamped with potential plot holders....it just seems they've decided they don't like us :(
...off to work on my decking before it rains...
Sazhig
Been there on benefits - I am a single Mum - although my son is now 27 - we have been through tough times - even got the T shirt! Glad to hear your life is on the up though with your husband's new job! I didn't assume that your husband or you were a lazy layabout!
Who knows! A bit of positive thinking and your life will be back on track with a new lottie somewhere and your life will be much better.
I am sorry if I sound hard - but that is me!
All the best
Old Bird
;)
Old Bird - give over apologising for your straight-speak! You are who you are and all who are regulars on here know that is how you speak - you call a spade a shovel ....and what is wrong with that? Don't change now.
twinkletoes
Thanks Twinkletoes for the comments!
I sometimes feel bad for straight talking - some people are so nice! all the time nice! I feel that they are so nice that if they farted it would smell of lily of the valley, roses or something nice!
I think that I have angry old man syndrome!
Hopefully I don't upset too many people!
Old Bird
;D
...atta girl! ;D ;D ;D ;D
twinkletoes
Never apologise for speaking your mind Old Bird...you didn't upset me in the least. The association, my previous landlord and my inability to cope in a crisis take the blame for that ;)
Happy to hear everyone's views on this no matter how stinky your farts are ;D
sazhig - keep it up - takes courage to go where you have been and still be able to see the future will be bright.
twinkletoes