Buying a house backing into allotments

mr_auspicious

I have had an offer accepted on a house. It’s in London but is in a very quiet location partly because there are a lot of allotments at the end of the back garden.

Would any plans to build on the allotments show up in the searches? How likely is it, that any time in the future planning would be given to develop on the land? Are allotments more or less likely to be built on than other land?

Thanks in advance for any help

davidmcn

Check for yourself on the council's planning site. Or just Google, as I'm sure any such proposal would hit the local news.

I would say probably less likely than on most other types of land as it is likely to require a consensus among those with allotments, and generally they have allotments because they use them rather than because they are property speculators.

HampshireH

The answer to that would surely depend on the area and current need.

Have other allotments in the area been turned into housing?

I would have thought allotments are prime space for those who dont have gardens etc.

....unless its unused or predominately unused

Im not in London but i dont recall any development on allotments in my area at all. They are such communities that they would kick off if the council tried to sell it off to build.

eddddy

Assuming that they it is 'Statutory Allotment Land' owned by the council, it will be harder - but not impossible - for it to be sold off for development.

There's some info about it here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/allotment-disposal-guidance-safeguards-and-alternatives

moneyistooshorttomention

I know of a city council that grabbed allotments off the allotment holders - and put something else on there - and it was despite protests by the allotment holders.

So it's not beyond the bounds of possibility a Council in Southern England (ie the area of our country that is currently going "build/build/build":mad::mad:) might do so in order to try and cram in yet more people one way or another.

In your position - I'd be after an allotment/making it plain once I had one there would be "trouble" if the Council tried to develop on them/keep your fingers crossed.

getmore4less

DYOR

As above local planning site and go talk to the allotment people.
Ask about the waiting list.

bouicca21

Many years ago I had an allotment. Many of the allotments were unused, people were not queuing up to rent them ...

They are now covered with houses.

Owain_Moneysaver

Don't think allotments are necessarily as quiet as you might hope.

Shed-building, rotavating, hedge trimming, clippings shredding ... wood and topsoil deliveries at 8 am on Saturday morning ... open days, plant sales ...

moneyistooshorttomention

bouicca21 wrote: »

Many years ago I had an allotment. Many of the allotments were unused, people were not queuing up to rent them ...

They are now covered with houses.

The allotments concerned were well-used and there was quite a ruckus when the Council grabbed them.

Davesnave

It almost happened when I had an allotment in Bath in the 1980s. They were falling into disuse and the council was strapped for parking. I remember writing a letter that was published in the paper about it, inviting the appropriate councillor to comment. Needless to say he didn't.

Then someone found Roman Remains, so many people were 'relocated' while they stripped away 4' of soil. They just missed me, but I'd had enough; thought I was viewing the writing on the wall and bought a property with 1/4 acre!

However, at about the same time BOG was formed and enrollment for plots leapt.

http://bathorganicgroup.org.uk/

They'd have a hard time building or parking on on there now! Allotments that are well-managed and supported are on-trend and hard to steal.

gettingtheresometime

Our local council sold off one allotment site for housing development & then tried to do it with another but was unsuccessful.

Bear in mind that there will be burning of weeds etc happening & consider the traffic congestion as well