How long did you wait for an allotment

angelavdavis

I have been waiting over 12 months and am number 31 on the list. No one has been allocated a new plot during this time, so I'm not holding my breath. Have offered to share a plot and also registered on Landshare.

oliveoyl

Another thing you could do, if the mods would pass the advert, would be to ask on Freecycle... no harm in trying!

segarrett

You can try to find a private garden to share, where you grow some fruit and veg on an unused garden and the owner has a share of your produce. If you are aware of an unused garden, you can always ask.

You can try advertising on Gumtree, it's free to use but because there is so much stuff there, make sure your title carefully describes what you are looking for and where.

There is also a garden and allotment share section on yours2share with guidance on setting up the arrangement. Again this is free to use.

Several transistion towns also promote garden sharing, if you live in one.

mum_of_4

I was so, so lucky. I put my name down at a site that had 61 people in front of me then i realised that thecouncils website had listed another site as being in the wrong area an it was actually by my childrens school and well hidden.

I phoned the chairmen up and within an hour viewed the plot and was given the key before I left.

All those of you who are waiting check all sites that are in your area. The chairmen on the next site to us phoned the first person on the list to oofer them an allotment and number 1 - 6 on the list had either moved house, changed their minds or got a plot some where else so numberv 7 got one. He then decided to contact as many people to check if they still wanted to be on the list. At the end of the week the list went from 83 to 51.

I suggest another tatic is to keep checking where you are on the list as the council as been known to mess up the lists and loose peoples details.

Wig

I'm on a list, for the last year, but I'm not particularly bothered enough to do something to be angry about not getting one (not yet anyway).

But for those who really are bothered, I'd like to point out that the law says (the allotment and small holdings act) If there are 6 or more people waiting the council has a duty to provide land for them, even if that means the council has to create a new allotment site. If the council has no land to provide, they can and *must* use compulsory purchase laws to buy the land for the waiting allotmenteers.

I don't know how well this law works in practice, i.e. I don't know if the council can provide land which is 20 miles away or if it has to be more reasonably closer to home. And I don't think being on "a waiting list" puts any compulsion on the council to act, I think you would have to get together and make a formal application for land. If the council keeps the waiting list (as opposed to a site volunteer/chairman) details they would (probably) want to stop you from getting the details of other people on the list for data protection reasons aswell as not wanting to let you know aabout each other in order to make an application for land.

Some points in general, my views on this...

I think it is unfair for allotment holders to hold more than 1 plot if there are people waiting, I am position 6 on my local waiting list, but I chatted to some of the holders and some of them have 3 plots, another one with 2 plots doesn't use 1 of his plots it's completely overgrown with weeds but he digs over a small 2 metre square corner regularly so he can say he is "using" the plot.

Another plot is completely overgrown and as such is not leased out at all. If I was serious I would try to get that plot and hack it all back, but for now I am content to just to wait.

Also a lot of allotments have rules not allowing livestock, but around here they just don't care and people keep chickens and pigeons and there was at one time, even pigs!


Too many plots are only partially used. half or a quarter of the plot, with the rest allowed to go to weed or covered over. I think the rules should be that the whole plot is to be used, or if you are unable to do that then half of your plot should be made available to the first person on the list, with them remaining on the list in 1st place for a whole plot.

jess444_2

Hi,
I was very lucky. No allotments available in my area, but lots of derelict ones up for grabs in neighbouring authority, so got one straight away. However, I have been told that some areas scrap waiting list after 2 years and start again, so may be worth checking you are still on it.