Can anyone out there help.I have taken on an allotment but it has been used as a dumping site for many years consequently there are huge mounds and all sort of rubbish on it.The council have seen it and agree it needs levelling, but don't want to help. I have paid my annual tennacy, so should the council be responsible? Any help on the matter would be great
Welcome to A4A... my approach would be a name and shame campaign through the local rag...
Quote from: saddad on April 16, 2009, 15:05:31
Welcome to A4A... my approach would be a name and shame campaign through the local rag...
AGREE ,
gET THEM TO CLEAR IT A BIT FIRST :)
personally,id just get stuck in myself,rather than wait for the council to do it,you could be waiting for ages and miss a year
At least get them to provide a skip.
Try invoking the modern holy mantra of 'elf and safety'.
Quote from: elvis2003 on April 16, 2009, 15:10:31
personally,id just get stuck in myself,rather than wait for the council to do it,you could be waiting for ages and miss a year
:)
Elvis could be right at least if there rubbish on yer plot put it in a pile and get them to clear it away ,at least you could get some crops this year ;)
I know this won't be of much help to you, but if a plot on our site was in such a bad condition I would give it to the new tenant rent-free for the remainder of the year. I've done this twice, told the council allotments dept. afterwards, and both times they've been okay about it.
If a new tenant has to clear the plot, it's only fair that they benefit in some way.
I would make a big fuss and talk to the council about it again.
All sorts of rubbish could mean anything so something nasty could be lurking.
I'm sorry to say that I am with Elvis and Graceland - I would get stuck in and get on with it. It really annoys me when people want something - badly - like an allotment - and then get picky and say that someone else will have to clear or tidy it. This is partlly the reason that the Councils don't bother with letting out untidy/derelict sites - because someone will moan and say that they want it cleared.
Get on with it - if you saw the site before you paid your money - then you accepted it in the condition that it was given to you.
Nothing like a bit of hard work for you to appreciate progress much more than if someone else had taken 6 months to do it for you!
Old Bird
:o
Quote from: Old bird on April 16, 2009, 15:39:01
I'm sorry to say that I am with Elvis and Graceland - I would get stuck in and get on with it. It really annoys me when people want something - badly - like an allotment - and then get picky and say that someone else will have to clear or tidy it. This is partlly the reason that the Councils don't bother with letting out untidy/derelict sites - because someone will moan and say that they want it cleared.
Get on with it - if you saw the site before you paid your money - then you accepted it in the condition that it was given to you.
Nothing like a bit of hard work for you to appreciate progress much more than if someone else had taken 6 months to do it for you!
hear hear
Old Bird
:o
did you see the plot before you took it on if so why complain now
sorry it just if you saw it why didnt you ask them to remove the rubbish first then move on later
Alot of plots are weedy and even have brambles on then , some have rubbis chucked on them This is sometimes from other plot holders who see a good chance to get shot of there rubbish (it happens)
Put yer back in to it and get going It won,t improve while you wait ;D
Quote from: GRACELAND on April 16, 2009, 15:48:19
Alot of plots are weedy and even have brambles on then , some have rubbis chucked on them This is sometimes from other plot holders who see a good chance to get shot of there rubbish (it happens)
Put yer back in to it and get going It won,t improve while you wait ;D
hey graceland,do you recognise my profile pic?
This is easy to say but what if this person has not got the means to dispose of this stuff?
I think the council should clear the plots or at the very least provide a skip.
Get real :P
I think it is one thing to get rid of overgrown vegetation and something different to dispose of junk >:(
Myplot I suggest you ask for a skip.Just because plots are hard to get should not mean the council should be able to take the P :)
Quote from: elvis2003 on April 16, 2009, 15:53:23
Quote from: GRACELAND on April 16, 2009, 15:48:19
Alot of plots are weedy and even have brambles on then , some have rubbis chucked on them This is sometimes from other plot holders who see a good chance to get shot of there rubbish (it happens)
Put yer back in to it and get going It won,t improve while you wait ;D
hey graceland,do you recognise my profile pic?
Looks like Gracelands Front Door !!! :o
glad you recognised your own front door LOL
rach
x
I piled rubbish six feet high and twenty feet across on my plot, then got the Council in to clear it. If they won't oblige after a couple of attempts, go to your local councillor. If that doesn't work, try your MP. Use the local rag as a last resort, but I bet you'll never have to go that far!
If the council are paid to maintain the site then thats what they should do.....simple!
Mine was a mess but only an overgrown grass and weed mess so it didnt take that much hard work to sort it out.
But if its piles of rubbish and rubble and whatever else then they should prepare the plot properly.
Can only agree with Robert, Fork and Betula, I would try to find names and addresses in the rubbish and report them to the council for fly tipping, spread the word on the lottie what your going to do and surprise surprise you might find there are half a dozen helpers ( covering their arses). ;D ;D ;D
The Council should certainly clear the rubbish, if it is weeds etc. one can cope with it, but if people have left heavy stuff it is very difficult, especially if one hasn't got transport. The Council have lorries that can clear the rubbish. Enfield Council is quite good and when one takes over an allotment it is cleared and rotovated, if you wish, they have the big machines and it is totally unreasonable to expect someone to clear all the old metal and rubbish that has been dumped over the years. They also bring a rubbish truck twice a year so that we can put our rubbish on it. Also our Council do cut the grass, and lop the trees on the borders of the allotment, provide toilets and water, so can't really complain. They have the big machinery and it doesn't take them long to clear a site, the only thing they get annoyed about is the carpet which gets stuck in their machines and breaks them, and I don't them for getting annoyed about that. Some people are just too lazy to take stuff to the dump or ring the Council to have it collected and dump all kinds of old rubbish on an unused allotment.
They've stopped rotating on our site this year Borlotti and you must have had the letter about no carpets but most of the peeps on ours ignore this, by the way thanks :-* for the tip about council compost, we had ours dropped a couple of weeks ago after I told our secretary about your site getting it free, he's gone round telling everyone it was his idea to sort it, I suppose I'll let him have his moment of glory. ;D ;D ;D
What do you think about the Council compost. Everyone rushes to collect it, and the huge mountain soon disappears. I have put some around my currant bushes and fruit trees but it does smell and not sure what they add to it to break it down. Ask for some woodchip as find that quite good for paths, but have only got that once or twice.
You are so lucky ;D
Well I'm with Old Bird and co with this one. If you can't stand the heat don't get a job in the kitchen.
Of course being a cheeky boy I would be chasing for some free rent for my trouble.
Light stuff, plastics etc. can be simply gathered up a bagful at a time, taken away and given back to the Council via wheelie bins, and combustibles have a habit of catching fire. Metal, when dumped outside the gate tends to migrate onto totters vans. That just leaves rocks and brick. These should be used to fill any potholes in the roadway to generally improve the site. They also make useful paths if there is enough.
No excuses, get on with it. The more you all moan and bitch about it the more the rent goes up. The average plot is worth at least 10 times what you pay so be thankful you're not bottom of a 5 year waiting list.
The compost sure does stink, I put some on my bushes and earthed up some spuds with it, the 13 tonne pile has gone all ready, except the big twiggy bits and the rubbish that is left by my lottie. :( ;D ;D ;D
When I took on a similar plot the council provided me with 2 skips just for my plot alone as they knew it was in disarray. You will probably have to clear the plot yourself. Once you have gathered all the rubbish together, then see if your council will give you a skip. Ensure you are there for its delivery and the committee (if you have one); should ensure nobody else uses it and fill it immediately. (My skips were collected 3 hours later). The reason I suggest having all your rubbish ready is that if not then everybody else will fill it.
Be prepared to do everything on your own though, including clearing the rubbish. Waiting lists being as they are with allotments in great demand.... if you do not then I am sure somebody will be waiting in the wings willing to take your place. And your council will know this too.