Lobbying for an allotment

[Andy Hamilton]

There is a law that when 4 people get together they can lobby the council to find them an allotment. Has anyone heard of anyone doing this successfully?

[maggienetball]

I believe a group of people have just been successful in doing this in Totnes (my neighbouring town).

However, they lobbied with more than 4 people for a town centre allotment.

They have just received 19 plots in town centre but have 57 people on their waiting list!! These figures came from the local paper so may be open to a little exaggeration but I don't know.

[Andy Hamilton]

Ah cheers for that have just emailed someone there to find out more.

[Merry]

I`ve got a feeling that it`s six people needing an allotment that should trigger provision by the council but there are all kinds of constraints and get-out clauses the council can use.
And if there`s a site within the council area with any free plots at all - even if it`s miles away - they can say that the need is being met.

[Andy Hamilton]

Yep I did wonder, I mean Why are there not more people lobbying in London with their 10 year waiting lists?

[Big Al]

Yep I did wonder, I mean Why are there not more people lobbying in London with their 10 year waiting lists?

Persistance ( war of attrition) pays off with the council.
I had been chasing a plot for a year gone February. I was promised it verbally in February 07 but then the allotment officer gave it to one of his mates who dug two rows then gave up. I pestered the councill weekly and from January 08 I spoke to someone at the allotments department daily and some times on more than one occasion each day.

I got the plot in February 08 but that was then derelict. It will take me a couple of years to sort out but it will be worth it. I'm now aiming to start an allotment association up here because there are about 30% of the plots totally derelict, like 15 ft brambles etc but I've found out that it costs our council £1000 to have contractors clear a plot where as they will give the Association £500 - £750 to clear a plot for them. We get the money to spend on the site and the derelict plots come back into use.

[Bluemoon]

Yep I did wonder, I mean Why are there not more people lobbying in London with their 10 year waiting lists?

I think I read somewhere that London is exempt from this law due to high levels of population and insufficient land.

[Big Al]

Yep I did wonder, I mean Why are there not more people lobbying in London with their 10 year waiting lists?

Persistance ( war of attrition) pays off with the council.
I had been chasing a plot for a year gone February. I was promised it verbally in February 07 but then the allotment officer gave it to one of his mates who dug two rows then gave up. I pestered the councill weekly and from January 08 I spoke to someone at the allotments department daily and some times on more than one occasion each day.

I got the plot in February 08 but that was then derelict. It will take me a couple of years to sort out but it will be worth it. I'm now aiming to start an allotment association up here because there are about 30% of the plots totally derelict, like 15 ft brambles etc but I've found out that it costs our council £1000 to have contractors clear a plot where as they will give the Association £500 - £750 to clear a plot for them. We get the money to spend on the site and the derelict plots come back into use.

As an update to this post, I got the allotment, started with gusto, knacked the back up again, plot went to rack and ruin. A neighbour then went as my partner, dug over the plot and is making a go of it. I am a half plot holder with my other neighbour which is going to be his last year so I will have a good clean, if un fed plot come April.

The lotty association is up and running but I only got it off the ground, still it's making good ground.