We're currently working to set up a community garden in our village on a disused football pitch that, fingers crossed that Sport Scotland's objection gets over-ruled (which it should, because they haven't bothered their arses with it for the past 15 years) we should be getting from the council soon. We have a chronic shortage of allotments, and many folk here have ridiculously small gardens with pathetic soil so we are setting up a community garden of 50 organic raised beds for food growing plus 2 polytunnels and a biodiversity area and are currently sorting out our Climate Challenge Fund application.
I have been tasked with the enviable task of researching rules and regs pertaining to acceptable behaviour and best practice for members - but I don't know where to start! There's a huge amount of resources about allotments, but many of these are not applicable for raised-bed / communal shed type set-ups.
There has been an enormous interest from schools, nurseries and toddler-groups who want raised beds; so one of our main concerns is to make the area as secure as possible. There will be a locked gate which MUST remain locked - to stop vandalism as well as to ensure child safety. Water butts / tanks for rainwater run-off are going to need to be secure and not left in a way that might cause an accident, for example. There are other issues too, such as the use of chemicals; disposing of unsuitable materials into the hotboxes / wormeries that could jeopardise the harvest etc.
Any idea how we deal with these? Would it be a case of verbal / written warnings then Notice To Quit with immediate effect? Could some 'crimes' be seen as gross negligence / misconduct?
Just wondered if anyone is in a similar set-up, and how these issues and things like disputes are handled within the community.
Thanking you muchly!
