No allotments in my area - Bracknell, Warfield

[eleanorb]

Hi

I've made enquiries where I live and there are no allotment plots available at all in my area.

I've heard a rumour that if 6 people in the parish ask the council for allotments that the council are obliged to provide these.

Is this true?

Also, is anyone in the Bracknell area also looking for a plot. I need 5 other people to join me.

E

[eleanorb]

[ice]

Hi
No, they're not obliged to provide but they are obliged to look and see if they can provide, given constraints such as land, finance, whether spare land,funds would be put to better use etc. Not sure of the numbers e.g. whether it's 6 or more than that. NSALG should be able to advise (www.nsalg.org.uk)
Have you tried neighbouring councils? I didn't want to take any of the sites in my Borough council (Reading) so have taken plots in Wokingham District area. Some councils/parishes allow this.

Also..don't necesarily believe that no plots are available. This usually means all plots have rent paid for the year, but some will no doubt have not been cultivated and it's usually within the contract that if the allotment is not cultivated then the council can end the contract with that tenant. Get a list of sites, go and visit them and have a look - if you see someone, call them over and ask if any of the plots aren't being cultivated.

[kt.]

Providing you have a minimum of 6 people wanting plots - The council is obliged to provide. All 6 MUST be on the electoral role. Britain signed up to the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992, Agenda 21. Officers were attatched to councils across the land. Part of this is to make every effort to protect the environment and promote community spirit, partially by encourage local food production. Then followed the All Party Enquiry -  "The Future for Allotments" followed in 1998. This was a wake up call for the local authorities. It recognised the value of allotments for health, for communities and as green space. The Good Practice Guide" in 2001 laid out the ways and the means. Inner London is an exemption to this as there is not enough green space to go round. You could approach the NSALG - National Society of Allotments & Leisure Gardeners. A self financing body providing a powerful legal lobby for allotments under threat. They may give your council a push. ;)

[Admin aka Dan]

ktlawson - Hey you've posted!

Are things OK now?

Dan

PS

PM me so we don't take over the thread.

[manicscousers]

don't know how wigan get away with it, there's at least 10 to 15 on each waiting list, the most allotments there are on 1 site is 15  !!

[growgirl]

Nearly all the allotments in my area have closed their waiting lists because of them being so long.

The last time I heard the waiting list for allotments still taking names was something like 8-10 years :o Thank God we have a garden!

[Spyros]

Eleanor - I was on the waiting list for the allotments in Twyford for about a month and a half before a plot came up. When the guy from the council showed me my plot he was making disapproving noises about the state of decay some of the plots had been allowed to fall into.

You might definitely have some joy there.