Allotments London - Help?!

Eliza252

Hi, I am really keen to get an allotment - out of the list of five places the council gave me, there is only one that will even allow me to put my name on the waiting list, as they are so long. Does anyone know of any allotments that are less popular? - i live in Tower Hamlets but I would be prepared to traval to get there.
the allotment aim is really about me being able to get outside for some fresh air and I love gardening - I grew up with a family that were big on the out doors and I am currently living in a shoe box flat - if my plants take up any more window space my flat mate may evict me!! - so if anyone has any ideas I would love to hear them! I was also wandering if there are any garden schemes I cold work on around London if the allotment is not going top happen.
Thanks!!!

Savvy_Sue

Don't know if any of these sites will help at all:

Allotments UK

Allotments 4 All

City Farms - that last one would be more if you couldn't find an allotment but wanted to volunteer at a city farm instead.

Other ideas: I know in some places they have Community Gardening Projects where people who can't manage their garden are put in touch with people who want to garden. Not sure where you'd find such a project, but would your local branch of Help the Aged or Age Concern like to put you in touch with an older person who'd like help? That could be safer than wandering the streets looking for overgrown gardens! Aha! Your local Voluntary Service Council may be able to help you find a gardening project!

I know it's not quite the same as having your own piece of land, but if you were in Bristol I'd offer you the run of my garden, and I wouldn't mind if you put it all down to veg!

Eliza252

hi - thanks for the v. useful websites. Have found some allotments which might be free - they are quite far away but I've been looking for an incentive to buy a bike anyway! - think help the aged volunteering idea might be genius! - am going to do a bit of research into it...
Wish there were more allotments available in London - they are SO popular, with all the government talk of the importance of increasing people's activity levels you wonder why they havent capitalised on something which is obviously already popular - lack of free land I guess (well, land that isnt worth millions to them in potential flashy office development!)

Savvy_Sue

Eliza252 wrote:

hi - thanks for the v. useful websites. Have found some allotments which might be free - they are quite far away but I've been looking for an incentive to buy a bike anyway! - think help the aged volunteering idea might be genius! - am going to do a bit of research into it...

You're welcome. Now I don't know much about allotments, and it's a long time since I rode my bike regularly, but if you do get one a long way away make sure you can store your tools safely on-site, and buy a big front basket carrier and large rear panniers for the bike. Why? Imagine cycling across London with a hoe tucked under your arm ... and then back again with your hoe still under your arm, and half a dozen carrier bags of tomatoes hanging from the handlebars ... actually don't ever do that, I saw a nasty accident where the 9-pack of loo roll hanging from the handlebars got tangled up in the wheel going round a roundabout ...

battybird_2

if your local council has any allotments then the department to go to will be enviromental ie parks,planning,etc the average plot is 250sq m for approx £25 pa
but you can get smaller good luck

Shez

There are a few alotments around me, I dont know what their waiting list is like? try newham council website. Also I know Newham do have gardening type things going on.

HTH

wigginsmum

I've just applied to go on the waiting list for an allotment in Walthamstow so I'll let you know if they give me any ideas on waiting-time.

ecofreak

If you can get 5 people together who want an allotment, the council is obliged to find you one. Also be persistant, Im in Leeds and when I first asked the council about an allotment they first told me there were none available and then told me (in the same conversation) that there was a waiting lits of several years. LIES!!!
I went down to my local allotments one sunday and had a chat with the old fellas down there and discovered there were at least half a dozen plots which hadnt been worked in 6 years. I took photos of the unworked plots and sent them with a letter to the council.
Surprise surprise within a month Id been offered one. Many councils want to get rid of their allotments and sell the land - if there is less than half of the plots being worked, the council can sell the land and make a tidy profit, hence why they are known to give out false or misleading info, dont give up and pester them like mad, they have a legal obligation to provide allotments.

LilacLillie

Eliza252, have you tried the ones near St Andrews hospital in Bow, or the mudchute farm? I live in TH as well, always fancied an allotment but am to lazy!
If you just want to be outdoors and gadening, why not try 'The Bromley-By- Bow' centre. They have a project called 'Green Dreams' which is a 'Horticultural & Landscape' design project. Their website is :

https://www.bbbc.org.uk

Tele: 020 8709 9700

LL

beckie

If you live in the west end of the london borough of hounslow there are lots of vacant allotments, at least at the site i have one, there is! Here is a contact email address for any one who is interested prabha.thankaraj@cip.org.uk

tubster

In West London there are lots of free plots in in the Bushy Park alotments (these are near Kingston Bridge and next to a deer park/near hampton court palace - bit of a treck from the East though. They are independent I think - just go along and ask someone when the gate is open (they are behind some big walls!)
Tubster