Not so much 'regeneration'...

[ShedHead]

Our allotment has been closed this week by the local council because after 50 years of cultivation they have analysed the soil and found levels of lead, zinc, arsenic, nickel and benzoapyrene which are 'above government guidelines' (we're waiting for the actual figures).

We are at the beginning of the growing season and they are over-reacting in case they get sued.

Is there anywhere we can go for help? Our oldest member is over 80 and has worked his plot for 20 years; he says it keeps him alive.

[ShedHead]

[allotment_chick]

Crikey - it raises an issue, doesn't it.  My victorian terrace is opposite the site of a (now defunct and re-developed) gas and coke works and down the road from an industrial estate - I think I'd rather not know about the contents of my soil....

Try the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners (NSALG)

http://www.nsalg.demon.co.uk/

I don't know if they can help or not.  Failing that perhaps the HDRA

http://www.hdra.org.uk

Or, if you want to see the guidleines perhaps the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on www.odpm.gov.uk or DEFRA http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/consult/dss/07.htm

Good luck - and grow safely
AC

[tim]

If it hasn't killed him.....? Is this the EU again?? = Tim

[Mimi]

Shedhead, my first thought was 'Why did they test the soil after so long???' Just a thought but knowing how keen a lot of councils  are to turn allotments into housing estates, perhaps it may be worth while clubbing together and having the soil independantly assessed?  Yes, I know I'm cynical, but it comes with advancing years.

[gavin]

Yup - I'm with Mimi.  http://www.hdra.org.uk/factsheets/gg21.htm has some useful information and contacts.

Good luck - Gavin

PS  And as well as the NSALG, have a look at http://www.btinternet.com/~richard.wiltshire/allot1.htm for Dick Wiltshire - in your situation, I'd e-mail him for advice.

[ShedHead]

...a little background...

The Council decided to test the soil because they were asked to. A newly arrived allotment holder (and new gardener), on finding his plot rich in bits of crockery, old bottles and a steel drum decided that the land must be contaminated and turned to the council to test it. The Council now has done its duty and is covering its back (the soil contamination figures will show how much room we have to fight).

The person who asked for the analysis is away at the moment but he's not very popular at the moment...if only he'd spoken to anyone else on the site, which was a domestic tip for a relatively short time up to the early 1920s - hence the bottles and crockery. Grrrr...

Allotment_chick -yes, your soil is probably contaminated with benzopyrene (which is hydrocarbon byproduct of the coal and gas industry amongst others). Don't ask to get it tested though unless you are willing to face a similar outcome.

Mimi - similar thoughts flash though my mind, but this time (and at the moment) I think they are simply wanting to play it ultra-safe.

Thanks for all the links and advice - my potatoes and broad beans will be pleased to know they have friends.

[ShedHead]

News of fresh disasters...

Following on from my previous postings, we have had our allotment taken away from us by our local authority.

We had a meeting at which we had a frank exchange of views but the upshot was that we were 'snookered' by the science.

The Environment Agency produces Soil Guidance Values (SGVs) - here's a quote from their website (http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/subjects/landquality/113813/672771/675257/?lang=_e :

"Soil Guideline Values have been derived using the Contaminated Land Exposure Assessment (CLEA) model according to three typical land uses:

   * residential (with and without vegetable growing)

   * allotments

   * commercial / industrial

Where applied appropriately, exceeding a Soil Guideline Value indicates the need for either further investigation and/or remediation."

As you can see, allotments are in a category all of their own.

There are 2 important points which I think merit interest from all allotment holders:

1. Every local authority has a statutary duty (since 2002) to have a 'contaminated land policy'. This means that they should be aware of the quality of all the land they have responsibilty for and whether the land is 'safe' against the figures supplied by the Environment Agency. The fact that they haven't been round and tested your allotment yet is simply down to lack of resources (time, money and manpower) - but they will in the next year or two.

2. 'Remediation' - when applied to allotments means 'close'. Cleaning up of contaminated soil is a very expensive business (usually only worth it if your planning a housing development or some such thing). Allotments come very far down a council's list of things to spend money on - financially the only practical option is to immediately shut the site and offer plots on other sites (oh, and £50 compensation).

This post is by way of an early warning especially if your site is on land reclaimed from some industrial activity (ours was an old domestic tip but had also been used as a dump for industrial clinker).

----I'm still grieving for my potatoes---

[Dunc_n_Tricia]

If your allotments are part of the nsalg I recommend getting in touch with them sharpish.

Our lottie site is on the edge of a golf course and they are our landlords. A couple of years ago (before I joined) the golf club wanted to build houses on the allotments, but our chairman got in touch with the nsalg.

They were brilliant. They pointed out the legal requirement to find us a replacement plot with similar facilities and generally scared them into changing their minds ;D ;D ;D

You may have more legal rights than the council would ever let you know. It isn't in their interests to let you know where you stand, so talk to the nsalg or to a solicitor (most offer a free initial consultation) and find out!

Don't go down without a fight

:-*Tricia

[ShedHead]

Unfortunately, our site was (oh, how soon has it become 'was') not one of the council's 'statutory' allotments - it was an allotment 'by custom and use'. Yes, if it were part of the statutory provision, then there would have been more legal stuff that could have been tried.

We are being offered plots elsewhere (further away and uncultivated) - I just wanted to flag up the danger to other users who may be in a similar position. Be prepared...

[carrot-cruncher]

Thanks for the warnings.   My local area used to be heavily involved in the coal mining industry so god help us if my council decided to do a soil test.