CAN RULES BE CHANGED?

[betula]

Yes,rules can be changed.............Heard off the parish clerk today

YES, I CAN KEEP CHICKENS...................SO HAPPY ;D ;D ;D

[betula]

[ceres]

Woohoooo!  Yay!  I am so envious.  I'd love to have a couple but don't have the space on my plot and it's looking doubtful I'll get my second plot  :(

So.  How many, when, how - details please?  ;)

[betula]

Thanks Ceres,

It has been a bit of a while to sort it.They found out what I already knew from posters on this thread,however the land is owned privately,so they had to write and get permission.The owners have given permission.Just got to be passed by the parish council .They all seemed quite supportive when I went to the last meeting so do not think there will be any probs.

I think I will need the winter to prepare for them.I have not dared to do anything in case I was turned down.I am so lucky to have two plots .I acquired my second plot when the site was mostly derelict.They are all occupied now,and I think there is a waiting list.

Iwon't keep many,will be looking for advice on this,As I mentioned before I am going to look into rare breeds but feel I should do a bit of chicken rescue,they have had such dreadful lives.

Old Bird will be pleased.She does very well with hers.

I will probally drive everyone crazy now asking for advice.

Hope you eventually get to keep some Ceres ;D

[Hyacinth]

Well done you! (Bet the Christmas turkey won't taste so great this year tho ::))

;D

[Old bird]

Brilliant news!

So pleased for you!  What fun to do all the planning now and get some when it starts getting lighter and warmer!

A long time coming with the permission - but shows that persistence wins in the end!

Well done!

Old Bird
;D

[lolabelle]

well done, my sister got her's after a long wait and she LOVESSSSSSSSSS then 
I'm sure you will enjoy keeping them  ;D

[Melbourne12]

Yes,rules can be changed.............Heard off the parish clerk today

YES, I CAN KEEP CHICKENS...................SO HAPPY ;D ;D ;D

Congratulations! It was obviously worth the effort to pester them.  :) :) :)

[Borlotti]

Have a look at Allotment lady, Simply living, chickens.  She is mad on chickens and it is a good site, not as good as Allotments 4 all of course.  Computer has just come back from being repaired.  Missed this site.

[manicscousers]

I learned lots form down the lane web site  ;D

[ceres]

Our AGM is in 2 weeks and have just heard that the agenda includes 'The keeping of chickens'.  I don't think we currently have any rules about livestock (although there are hives on site) and as we're a private site there's no council involvement.

[betula]

Better get some now then Ceres before they ban them :)

[ceres]

Based on the current activities of our committee, you're very probably right!

[ceres]

No chooks for us  :(  Had a discussion at the AGM.  Was going quite well until someone started quoting the letter of the law relating to animal welfare, how impossible it is to comply with the Animal Welfare Act 2006, how committee members will be personally responsible for breaches of the act, blah de blah de blah, how destructive chooks are, how they escape from everywhere, how every plot with chickens would have to be fenced in ..... It was a lost cause after that.  We had no-one with experience to refute it.  We even had 2 councillors there who explained that the council allows chickens on their sites and they would be happy to let us have their rules and regs to use but it didn't help.  The vote was 7 for 50+ against.  Amazing how all these allotment sites up and down the country put up with the nuisance of chooks, isn't it? ;)     

[betula]

That is bad news Ceres.I have never heard of chickens being an issue before, apart from are they allowed or not.

Allotments are public places.If their welfare was not attended to it would quickly become obvious and so unlikely to happen.

If it is a council run site and no by laws to prevent it plotholders are entitled by law to keep chickens.The committee getting a vote against it has no standing in law.

[ceres]

We're a private site, the councillors were guests.  I've been thinking about the legality of it.  Our warrant doesn't mention fruit/veg or livestock.  It says that the ground can only be used as allotments.  If you interpret 'allotment' as having the meaning assigned in the legislation, then it includes the keeping of chickens.  Hhhm.  Need some legal advice here I think.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Since we don't follow the Napoleonic Code in Britain, it's normally safe to assume that anything which isn't banned is permitted.

[Trevor_D]

Ceres, I'd question the legal liability bit if I were you. We've got both bees and chickens on our site. All hives must be registered with the Beekeepers' Association, who have a right to come and inspect. But birds - any sort, not just chickens - don't have to be registered with Defra if the flock is under 50 (although they encourage voluntary registration). I assume that if the chickens were being ill-treated in any way the RSPCA would step in, but that's a slightly different matter.

The bit about the Committee members being personally liable (for anything, not just chickens) is a load of hot air.

And yes, all chickens should be fenced in, both to keep chickens in and foxes out! But if any damage is caused, it's the owner of the animals who is liable. (We have horses on our site: same applies to them. And if I take my dogs to the plot and they run amok, it's down to me!)