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My friend wants to start up a communal garden on a piece of no man's land (as in not even the borough council own it), he has the support of the neighbours are there any legal restrictions for him to do it?

I have a feeling that all the land in the UK is deemed to be owned by somebody. If it appears to be derelict, you can try using it. If nobody complains within seven (I think) years you can claim it as your own but if anybody claims it as theirs in that time then you have to put it back as it was.

I suggest he starts off very small. It is, technically, vandalism to alter someone else's land, even if you think it's making it better.

Also be careful of what the land used to be. It might have been used for toxic chemicals or be covered in something that could be dangerous.

I really don't want to put your mate off, I think it's a great idea. Google "Gorilla gardening" for more info.

Zoe

before the area was a housing estate the area was an orchard & had a stream under it, the fruit trees are long gone, my friend found out that it belonged to noone after he approached the guy who used to cut the grass there about possibly turning the site into allotments as the residents of the road seemed really interested & wanted to know how to go about it & that's when the council found out there man had been mowing an area that didn't belong to them or indeed anyone.

Wouldn't that be just typical of the council. Now's the time to ask for it to be made into allotments then before things get too deep. That would be a good deed indeed.

Try putting an ad in the local press, indicating that something of value has been discovered there. You'll soon find the rightful owners springing up!
I would be wrong to encourage you to hint that something criminally sensitive could be buriied so that the Police turn up and dig the place over..so I won't mention it..lol

sleepyowl wrote:My friend wants to start up a communal garden on a piece of no man's land (as in not even the borough council own it), he has the support of the neighbours are there any legal restrictions for him to do it?

Just do it. and look up squatting, where is this land?

get a load of the neighbours together for a day,have a meeting at the site, give the site a name!, together define the boundary, dream a bit, recycle everything, use anything to make a fence, plant a hedge, whatever. anything will do, use what ever you can find, even knee high will do for a start. Have a look at the soil, dig it!, find a good source of compost / horse manure. contact local paper, etc etc....

some links
http://www.tlio.org.uk/
http://www.schnews.org.uk/diyguide/idio ... etings.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diggers

It belonged to the estate but the estate no longer exists