Allotments 4 All

Hi,

Our Allotment committe is considering handing back the management of the site to the council. I wondered if anyone has any experience of this and whether it was for better or otherwise...

hiya, zekethefrog, welcome to a4a  ;D
sorry, can't help with your query as ours is a private site, no doubt someone will be along soon  :)

We are private as well Zeke, but I'll say hello and Welcome to the Site, which will bump you back up onto the front page...  :)

Welcome to A4A zeke.  What reasons do the committee give for handing the site back to the council?

it's because they beleive that there is not enough support from the members; that the plotholders are reluctant to do any of the communal work and they no longer care to carry the burden themselves. They intend to stand down at the next AGM and if no-one else takes up the mantle they will then hand control back to the Local Authority.

I wouldn't think that handing back to the council would necessarily get any work done. Ours is a council site and they do nothing except take the money!

I'm sure the state of the plots will deteriorate but that's not what worries me. I'm  concerned that they might say we've had our chance and decide to use the land fror something else.

So can't you form a new committee?

I agree about the worry of the local council's taking back the land if they are not used and once lost never to get it back.

I hope you can drum up some support and can get a new committee.

I hope so too.

Are all the plots taken? If not, maybe some new blood would get things done?

Yes, all the plots are taken and there is a waiting list.

In that case people must be keen to get the gardens. See if a few are keen enough to start a new committee. You may be surprised; people have a habit of coming out of the woodwork once the old clique retires!

my allotment is council owned and the only thing they do i cut the grass twice a year, i have taken it upon myself to strim and cut the grass paths, i also strim any vacant plots and when they are taken on i offer to rotovate the plot at no cost just so people dont become disheartened and give up. at the present time i have done this for 5 new plot holders in the last 6 months. it took numerous acts of vandalisem just to get the old wooden gates changed to metal ones and i dont think that they would have done this had the vandals not ripped one of the gates down and set fire to it. I spent many months telling the site steward that the bottom gate could not be opened because of over grown vegetation and even rang the council who said they were aware but still did nothing about it so again i did it myself. So from my experiance if the council are getting the rents they are content just let things go on as they are so long as there is no cost incurred by them.

   zekethefog,   where are you ?

   more advice and help would be available if you were located    ;D

   floss xxx

Thanks for the insightful observations Lottyers (!)
I've contacted all the membership and have appealed to them to help me form a new committee before the end of March (when the present committee is going to throw in the towel.)
I'll post on here an update on this. javascript:replaceText('%208)',%20document.forms.postmodify.message);

Quote from: hippydave on February 21, 2009, 19:02:27
my allotment is council owned and the only thing they do i cut the grass twice a year, i have taken it upon myself to strim and cut the grass paths, i also strim any vacant plots and when they are taken on i offer to rotovate the plot at no cost just so people dont become disheartened and give up. at the present time i have done this for 5 new plot holders in the last 6 months. it took numerous acts of vandalisem just to get the old wooden gates changed to metal ones and i dont think that they would have done this had the vandals not ripped one of the gates down and set fire to it. I spent many months telling the site steward that the bottom gate could not be opened because of over grown vegetation and even rang the council who said they were aware but still did nothing about it so again i did it myself. So from my experiance if the council are getting the rents they are content just let things go on as they are so long as there is no cost incurred by them.

HippyDave we have a wonderful guy like you on our site, without whom hardly anything would get done.  He shows potential plot holders arouond gives advice and generally takes care of the site. He is even helping me strip the turf of my plot so i can get going this year. I think people like you and him help make things better for plot holders where the council are never seen except to send dig or else letters and wheres the rent letters. Thank goodness for people like you.   :-*