What's the longest wait for a lottie?

[cir3ngirl]

My friend and I want an allotment. There is a site 5 minutes walk from our houses. The town council say "there is a long waiting list". Walking past there are at least 4 that have not been worked this year. I e-mailed my 3 town councillors guess what no replies. Last week we walked pasted and spoke with one of the plot holders. Next morning we went to the town council again telling them what Taffy had told us. That some plot had not been touched for 4 years. They did send a groundsman round to check our story, but we still wait to hear. Won't hold my breathe just carry on with my vegi pots in the garden.

How long did you wait?

Cir3ngirl

[greenbean]

Hi, I have my name on a council waiting list, it was put on last year and I was told that it would be approx 9 years before I got one! Only 8 more years to go! I don't want to depress you, it can't be that bad where you are - I have to say that all our local allotment plots look lovingly cared for, infact it is a joy to go and walk past them.

[Fee]

Don't be too disheartened, we were told at least 2 years for most of the allotments in our area, so we got ourselves on all the waiting lists, but we actually ended up with one after being on the waiting list for only a few months.

I think the key was that once on the list, we regularly phoned them up to see how the list was looking, showed willing and keen, and we then got a phone call a few weeks later to ask if we were keen gardeneers, so we'd obviously jumped the queue a little bit.

It's worth finding out who looks after the allotment, who runs it, etc. If they're close enough, you should be able to catch somebody going in and out to ask

[Shirley]

This makes me cross.... so many people want an allotment but have to wait YEARS to get one.... it's about time that the councils realised that allotments are far better than dishing out yet more land for redevelopment as housing... why not reclaim some land and create more lotties. In fact... everytime they approve yet another legoland village there should be a requirement to include some allotment ground (in my opinion)

this has been a soapbox moment by Shirlz

[Millie]

We put our name down a year ago, despite being warned the list was long, no-one gave them up, we were looking at 5 years. We got one in march! Turns out that the guy in charge of the lotties here just doesnt do his job. Most of them are left to grass over, and its only when the other allotmenteers go round en masse and have words that they get off their bottoms and insist they are used or given up for others. There is a man on our allotments and at one point he had mine and 7 others. Hes currently got 3, but he uses one in total. He gets round it by using a small section of each, which is just such a waste.

Apparently I got my lottie cos they all got together and asked N**k if he was cooking up a scam to provide development land for the council, the letters went out with offers within the week

I hope your wait isnt too long!

[Shirley]

WOW millie... militant lottie holders !!! Way to go.

For those that are waiting why not visit your local lotties and have a chat to the existing plotholders - got to be worth a try.

[cir3ngirl]

Thanks for the encouragement. Tommorrow we had already planned to visit town council offices again. We have a total of 4 plot holders on our side at the last count. 1 told us to, put £6 in an envelope and ask them to give it to one one of the absent plot holders in an effort to see some results. He did also say that 2 ladies would not manage a whole plot on their own so there's a challenage. We have started a seed collection and drawn up plans. We plan to have a caterpillar collecting comp for the children as well.

Cir3ngirl(Davina)

[Shirley]

oooh a challenge indeed... cheeky sod!!!!!! Reckon you'd better prove him wrong on that one.. and of course it won't be difficult.

[Han&Matt]

Hey cir3ngirl,
How maddening - especially when you've plans and are chomping at the bit to get going... I know how this feels as the moment I saw our allotments I knew it would be my most favourite place in the world - but we too were up against a list. As suggested, I did a net search and asked around the other plots who was in charge, found a plot that was neglected and pitched our case! I must say they were keen to have some 'youngsters' (30-somethings) on board - we bring the average age down significantly in Edgbaston! Apparently at our allotments they wait a whole year before contacting an absent holder - which is a very polite letter suggesting that they get in contact if they don't want the plot. Things move very slowly - and there are always those who come back to plant a potato and then leave it for another 6 months. You're doing the right thing - make a pain of yourselves, give them a council-friendly pitch, get friends with the other plot holders! Good luck...

[cir3ngirl]

The groundsman went round and looked at the plots. One of them is unuseable because someone had put carpet down and now there is something living underneath it. The council lady thought it might be slowworms but could not be sure but whatever it is cannot be moved as it is protected. Our quest continues will keep you all posted.

Davina

[Cheezy]

I put my name down in January, and I was 13th in line. I was given no indication as to how long it would take as it depended on how many people drop out or give up etc.

Decided to phone yesterday and I'm now 3rd!. Seems a few people got sick of waiting.
So hopefully should be in for the end of the year.

One difference is my nearest one is no long run by the council, and is run by committee, so if your slacking on the weeding then they tend to have words with you!.

[Andy Hamilton]

I have been very lucky and have never had to wait. saying that though my first allotment was uphill and 30 mins walk away.

Now it is 15-20 mins walk away, the short cut being through a park where just recently someone was mugged for their bike at knife point and I was told by a gang of youths that I was to be left alone as I was not an imigrant. - Needless to say I have to neglect the short cut a lot of the time.

There are a couple of allotments nearer but one has a huge waiting list and the other is just amass with braken and other weeds.

I would not change the one I have for any nearer now though as I love it.

We have the allotment regeneration project down here, (is it nationwide?) but they don't seem to have done much more than cosmetics to the other allotments - paths around etc. We are getting an 8ft high fence in the winter. WE don't need it but we are getting it.

[gunners71uk]

there are loads vacant plots where i am.i waited 48 hrs lol.

[alicej]

The provision of "field gardens" was a condition of the General Inclosure Act of 1845, and the 1887 Allotment Act says that councils must provide allotments if there is demand - some advice here about how to approach your local council http://www.nsalg.org.uk/page.php?page_id=25

To strengthen your case, look for any local council "initiatives", the council's own priorities etc, any documents you can find that might list local priorities like provision of local amenities, improving people's diets, keeping people fit, etc etc. Try your Primary Care Trust and also get an application form for lottery funding, as I know their packs list some priorities for different areas.

This should all help you put a good case for new allotment sites, your council are simply not fulfilling their duties if you really have to wait years for a plot.

Good luck!

Alice

[Thymepasses]

I was on the waiting list for 3 years. It is a really good site, only 22 plots, very secure and all of the plots are perfect cos everyone is retired...except me! They are being very patient while I struggle to keep on top of things!

Before I had this one a group of us got together to try and enforce the law about councils being obliged to provide sites, the group is still trying! It seems the council has lots of planning permission to give to developers of tiny box houses, but no land for productive, healthy activities like allotmenteering...could it be because there is no money in it?

Cynical? Me?