| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| tahir |
Calling all allotmenteersI drive past two sets of almost completely derelict allotments on my way to work yet all I hear is people saying they can't get a plot.If you have a plot at a site with vacancies please let us know so we can tell others, the allotment movement needs busy sites to survive, councils make a lot more money by selling them for development. |
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| Behemoth |
Don't trust the council for information - go down to the site on Saturday morning and seek out a site Committee member. Several sites have derelict plots around here despite the council saying they are full. The council has a name against that plot. It doesn't mean the plot has been used and the liaison officer is often out of touch with what's happening on the ground and doesn't know that individuals have moved on, or they pay their rent each year but never get around to doing anything. If you go along and say you'll take it on they can be turfed off for neglect and you can get the plot. | ||
| Behemoth |
Sorry forgot to add but some cynics suggest this administrative confusion is actually unwritten policy to run down sites and then sell them off. | ||
| tahir |
Is there a way of organising theses committees to advertise their plots? Like I said we'd be more than happy to help, I've never yet seen an allotment website that gives you any contact details for individual sites.
I only say this because I know that councils are very keen to get rid of them but they can be such a valuable resource for people in urban and suburban areas. I think the next 10-15 years could see the bulk of allotment sites being developed if nothing is done. |
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| Behemoth |
Lots of links here: http://www.keirg.freeserve.co.uk/diary/links/allot.htm
There is a national federation but I'm not sure how far they push their aims. But I'd guess that this is smoething that need to be pushed at a local level e.g. identify unused plots at various sites and getting a story in the local evening paper/free sheet or similar. |
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| tahir |
The national federation is crap, i've contacted them nmore than once about downsizer and they haven't even responded, some person or body with a bit of go needs to kick start this.
Any volunteers? I reckon we're the last generation that'll be able to save 'em... |
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| Mrs Fiddlesticks |
absolutely right! The council will be the last place to know that some old geezer died and his relatives in the midst of everything else have forgotten he had a plot. Beware that some smaller sites don't have anything as sophisticated as a committee, we have a site manager and that's it round here. But we are rural and they are often run by the parish council not county. Good plan of yours Tahir, however I would say that the nearer you live to your plot the more likely you are to do something with it!! So a walk round own area is a must for finding the little gems of a site and getting to find out whats going on. But Use it or Loose it folks!! If you don't think you could manage a plot on your own, why not club together with a relative or friend and run one together. |
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| sugarplumhalle |
For people in or around the out skirts of Hull for most area's there are no waiting lists... I got mine within a couple of days of enquiring. 
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| Mat S |
Rowley Fields, Leicester has a few spaces and an active, friendly comittee. Their website (just in case anybody's interested!) is
http://beehive.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/default.asp?WCI=SiteHome&ID=1891&PageID=67702 Mines the scruffy one near the big shed. |
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| sean |
Our council actually created some new ones because of the waiting list. I'm the only person who took them up on it.  Presumably they don't want to grow their own now we're getting a supermarket. 
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| tahir |
Thanks Mat you'd better tell 'em they can advertise here if they want. |
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| Guest |
Wavendon, Milton KeynesWavendon allotments (just outside the SE corner of Milton Keynes) has some spare plots, I think.I also believe that some, many or all of the areas in Milton Keynes have them, but not are all used. I'm not sure about the council's attitude to them, but we were looking at buying a house next to an area set aside for them, and we thought that would be very handy. However, the owner said that they had enquired but were told that the land couldn't be used until all allotments elsewhere (possibly only within the particular area) had been used. So the land stands unused until....
Peter. |
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| Marigold123 |
In the London Borough of Sutton, (Surrey), there are heaps of seriously underused allotments. Some are so overgrown that it's obvious no-one has done anything to them for years. You rarely see anyone working there who looks under 60.
Often, they are much older than that, but they just don't look it. Years of working on an allotment (and eating all those fresh, organically produced vegetables!) keeps them really fit! I was chatting to an old chap yesterday, on my way back from my daughter's school, and it turned out he was 79, nearly 80. I wouldn't have put him at much past 65! I much prefer growing veggies in the back garden, but I haven't got a lot of space where I live at the moment, and I must admit I am sorely tempted. I walk past the place twice a day in term time, and it's less than 10 minutes walk from the house. They do have a lot of vacant plots, and it WOULD get me fit again. |
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| tahir |
If you do go down to find out about them make sure you post the details of the local society and any website they may have here. | ||
| surfnutt |
allotment info harrow middxThere is a website for any one in the harrow middx area for info on allotments,contact details etc its" www.harrowleaf.org" and lists sites and associations within the harrow area.
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| Bugs |
Marigold, don't miss the thread started by Cab called something like "New allotment...maybe". Only started today and it's gone crazy with some great suggestions for low maintenance crops. That way if you manage to spend plenty of time there, it'll be great, and if it turns out you don't get in as often as you'd like you can still get a harvest, growing the higher maintenance stuff at home.
I love the theory of an allotment... |
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| Lloyd |
After the weekend, (I'm in hants till Sunday, no pc there), I'll post in "Events" about National Allotment week. | ||
| judyofthewoods |
So long, good bye, farewell, my friend  Been good knowing you
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| Lloyd |
 Haven't gone yet, Jude!...Just posted a link on Events section now anyway. Bon chance, ami!
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| Gertie |
Re: National Alloment Week (8th - 14th August 2005). I e-mailed the organiser the other day, just waiting for a reply. | ||
| Gertie |
Barnburgh (next village) Parish Council advertise vacant allotments. Our village, Harlington, has vacant plots but don't seem to advertise it due to the fact that we are in limbo at the moment
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| Marigold123 |
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| moogie |
Does any one know of vacant plots near me? I live in a valley community and all the local allotments have been sold off. I rang the town council for Bridgend where the remaining allotments are and was told that I didn't qualify because I don't actually live in Bridgend itself, despite there being plenty of vacant plots!  Any one got any ideas how I can get round this without actually moving?!
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| tahir |
THis is the thing, use 'em or lose 'em.
Any ideas anyone? |
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| Behemoth |
Go straight to the site - the committee may help you get around your predicaemnt and council will never know! |
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| moogie |
Thanks, shall try that 
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| cab |
On the subject of vacant plots, the New Chesterton site in Cambridge has some or so I'm told, whereas the Old Chesterton one I've just got a plot at is full; there was a big one and two small ones on Friday, and because I sounded vaguely competent on the phone (I assume) they put me down for a big one before I showed up. The two small ones were gone the same evening.
If you are looking for a plot around here, the Council website gives details for phoning the appropriate committe members on all of the local sites. Just what you need. |
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| PeterR |
Re: Wavendon, Milton Keynes
Yo Peter in MK! I am replying to this just to a) celebrate the coincidence of two people from Milton Keynes called Peter hanging out in this obscure furum b) celebrate the fact that i have now joined downsizer forums - hi c) clarify that the above post from peter in MK wasn't posted by me, despite odd coincidence d) put in a word for woburn sands allotments, where i have my plot . only a mile from wavendon, but a huge thriving site with some spare plots e) put in another word for Milton Keynes Organic Gardeners Group - anyone interested in joining, email me. |
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| tahir |
Re: Wavendon, Milton Keynes
Do they have a website? |
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| Lloyd |
Moogie, try Porthcawl, or Kenfig Hill. | ||
| moogie |
Not that I'm complaining! Just interested.
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| Lloyd |
I have relatives at Rest Bay.
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| selfsufficientish |
My allotment monksdale road in bath has 30 spare plots! They are going fast as there is a two year waiting list in some areas of Bath. here is a link http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/BathNES/lifeandleisure/leisure/parksandopenspaces/Allot.htm the one next to me seems to have become empty and I could do with someone to chat to up there  will promise to share my thermos of tea.
This will also help any prospective allotmenters http://www.selfsufficientish.com/councilsaj.htm and http://www.selfsufficientish.com/councils.htm for lists of all Uk councils. A good starting point to finding an allotment which I hope helps someone out. |
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| moogie |
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| Guest |
Re: Wavendon, Milton KeynesPeter.[/quote]Yo Peter in MK! I am replying to this just to a) celebrate the coincidence of two people from Milton Keynes called Peter hanging out in this obscure furum b) celebrate the fact that i have now joined downsizer forums - hi c) clarify that the above post from peter in MK wasn't posted by me, despite odd coincidence d) put in a word for woburn sands allotments, where i have my plot . only a mile from wavendon, but a huge thriving site with some spare plots e) put in another word for Milton Keynes Organic Gardeners Group - anyone interested in joining, email me.[/quote] Peter, Sorry, I have only just read this. Whereabouts are they in Woburn Sands? [Not that I know the area at all.] I guess that I ought to be interested in MK organic gardening, so how do I email you? Peter [A great name ].
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| freddie |
in cleveland we have loads of spare allotment plotswe have a feeling that our allotments are going too be built on , the reason being is that somebody with a clipper board has been going around the allotments asking anybody who comes out of the garden gate how many allotments are being used we feel that there is a developer sniffing around , the gentleman is official looking with a suit he also asks who has got livestock and who hasn't i know from the rules we are not allowed to have cockrels or geese or light fires at certain times of the year, some are spoiling it for others though. we have loads of spare plots we can't give them away and they are not council run just nobody is taking them up and the rents are only £5 per year for an eighth of an acre plot, we do have a lot of breakins though but if you take your tools away with you its ok and your rotavators and petrol as they sell them on the bootsale and use the petrol in their scrambler bikes, |
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| tahir |
Well, good luck, and do whatever you can to ensure there are no empty plots | ||
| Blacksmith |
Just got back from my allotment, cleared first quarter, planted shallots and red onion sets.
There are a few plots available now, maybe more at the end of the month( end of year, if people do not renew) The few people i have met so far have been great, very friendly, got given some strawberry plants and leeks.
http://www.thatchamtowncouncil.gov.uk/main/council_information/allotments/allotments.html Dave |
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| freddie |
allotmentsanybody living near eston, redcar and cleveland area we have loads of spare plots behind the beacon pub, we need people using these gardens as we may lose them due to neglect they are £5 a year for an eighth of an acre or you could have 2 together we are not council owned nor do we have running water just water butts and wells , be sure to take your tools home though as breakins are common , if you have read my last post we are sure the council might take the land for development if nobody is using them ,they have already sent spies out |
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| Gertie |
Hi Freddie -
Has anyone asked this 'suit' to introduce himself. You shouldn't need to answer questions if someone is not going to be civil enough to explain why they are asking them in the first place. I'm new to allotmenteering and I didn't realise that a number of allotments have been lost due to being sold (for building houses on) until Tahir informed me. Incidentally, I've recently received some information from The Allotments Regeneration Initiative (www.farmgarden.org.uk/ari). They have ARI Mentors who offer support - don't know if they would be able to offer any advice? I don't know if anyone else has had any dealings with them. |
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| tahir |
Anything's worth trying, I know I keep banging on about it but we're probably the last generation that'll be able to save the allotments system | ||
| wellington womble |
Re: in cleveland we have loads of spare allotment plots[quote="freddie"]we have a feeling that our allotments are going too be built on .......quote]Couldn't you get local schools and community groups involved? Especially schools or 'colleges' for kids with learning difficulties or other charities - cut flowers for a school or church fete or carnival maybe? Would be quite a good fundraiser, I would have thought. |
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| freddie |
allotmentshi gertieits not only allotments the government will use to build on they will take green fields ancient woodland school fields, it seems like anything goes when it comes down to regeneration and they don't seem to care how they get it , i thought allotments where set aside in case of war, thats what i was always told |
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| cab |
Surely there must be brown field sites in need of regeneration up and around Middlesbrough? That'd be far better than eating up allotments.
Sad to think that there are empty plots up there. Our site (Old Chesterton in Cambridge) is full; there are empty plots in the New Chesterton site and some others here, but not many. Why do you suppose that you're struggling to fill such sites up in 'Boro? The North East used to have such a strong, vibrant tradition of keeping allotments (although even before I moved South, some of the sites up in my home town Gateshead had gone). Where did it start going wrong? |
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| moggins |
They're doing it to us here too, the site that was behind my parent's house for years now has some shared ownership housing on it.
The ones closest to me are made impractical because they have built a cycle/footpath alongside it for a shortcut to get the kids to school (vandalism and theft are rife) and the council have refused to allow the occupants (even at their own expense) to put a water supply in. So unless you want to lug water up every day during the summer you are wasting your time. It's a crying shame, especially after the day I have just spent with my little one. If only parents could see the joy kids get from growing things instead of destroying them. |
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| freddie |
allotmentssorry gertie i never answered your question has anybody asked the suit , yes he was approached and the question he asked was how many allotments have livestock and how many allotments are there in total he was told how many gates do you see. he said how many there was after counting them but there are actually more because one gate might have 4 seperate plots if you can understand that,as for the livestock he was kept guessing nobody trusted him , thats happened to a few gentlemen in suits with clipboards as alot of rumours have been put around about development, even a commitee man next door to me has said it and there is nothing he can do about it as they are not council owned and after a lot of research nobody knows who legally owns the land, our allotments use to be bigger than they are now , but some where taken for houses years ago |
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| Lloyd |
Thankfully allotments are a lot more fashionable now than they were when this thread was started, and their future appears more optimistic? | ||
| tahir |
I think you're right, thankfully. | ||
| Lloyd |
I waited two years for mine, to then receive a plot that had been derelict for four years, six months later we are still battling perennial weeds. | ||
| gil |
is that all ? You'll be at it a lot longer, I'd reckon. |
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| Lloyd |
The neighbours reckon it'll take four years.
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| jamila169 |
We've just broken ground on ours - the soil is great, full of worms, black and crumbly -someone put a lot of work in at one time to get it like that I suspect I've decided to ignore the dandelions ,they've swamped all the other perennials and aren't that much of a nuisance
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| Lloyd |
We broke ground last week, cleared about 12 by 6. Anything is progress. Our soil is rich and dark red. Apparently it's very good soil. |