900th on the waiting list

GlasweJen

I've applied with the council to get an allotment (only way to do it here in Scotland) only to be told that I am now number 900 on the waiting list! What can I do to get higher up, is it possible to get priority?

nodwah

I assume from your name you're in Glasgow and if your're in the southside you can apply direct to the lotties that are in Pollok park, but there's still a waiting list (and I'm on it!) http://www.swallotments.co.uk/
There's really far too few lotties in this area and I'm hoping that constant pressure will force the councils to allow more to be created.

Davesnave

Are there no little old ladies left who need a hand with their overgrown gardens? You could do worse than put an ad in a few POs and see what turns up. (Of course there are others besides LOLs that have no time to do their garden.)

GlasweJen

Good guess nodwah but although I'm a weegie I live in Edinburgh so it's the edinburgh city council that i'm up against and they are merciless.

Davesnave no one in this area has much of a garden and those who all use them to grow flowers

nodwah

GlasweJen wrote: »

Good guess nodwah but although I'm a weegie I live in Edinburgh so it's the edinburgh city council that i'm up against and they are merciless.

Davesnave no one in this area has much of a garden and those who all use them to grow flowers

In exile too bad!!!:rolleyes:

GlasweJen

Indeed! And I thought good old Glasgow CC were bad, this lot are just plain evil I want an allotment lol. Considering emailing the useless dishrag of an MP and asking why we have the meadows just sitting there when there is a waiting list of 900 people who are all willing to garden and do something with land.

MONEYMAKINGMUM

Harass the MP he's there to represent you. Maybe go to the allotments you have nearby and talk with the holders, look around to see if there are any neglected or unused plots. If you mention to the council one is abandoned they might let you take it on.
How old is their waiting list? People move away all the time, I am surprised there are 900 people waiting. I got mine quickly with no waiting but since then I hear there is now a list, the council have at least 3 sites locally so our area is lucky. There is talk of building houses on ours though.

GlasweJen

I don't know how old the list is. I've went wanders down the allotments but everyone says that they've either had their plot for years or they've had to wait years to get one. None look neglected at all

shona_2

Hi
I live near Perth and there are no allotments in my village... sniff.
Bags with potatoes will be the best I can do!

mistah

I think that councils have a statutory responsibility to provide allotments under The Allotment Act. I seem to recall that if 6 or more people request an allotment they have to make land available. If 900 people have requested allotments and no land has been provided then I would have thought the council would have to allocate funds to purchase more land for allotments. There again, I'm not a lawyer and governmental organisations appear to have a habit of ignoring the law (or just interpreting it differently from the rest of us).

teedy23

With the price of housing in Edinburgh, not to mention parking. I would like to bet they have either changed that law/ruling, or conveniently forgotten it.