Allotment Closures - shocking !

[Richard]

Sorry, bit political, but...

Pickles approves 59 allotment sales

Richard

[lancashire lass]

There is a e-petition if anyone would like to sign online on the HM Government website - closing date is 10th June 2014

[bluebell]

Thank you Richard for bringing this to our attention and thank you LL for the link.

Signed.

Please share and sign folks. This is an absolute disgrace - money making whatnots!

[albertajune]

I have signed the petition but feel that it will make no difference. Where money and power are concerned, it usually wins.

[Richard]

True, I think the Government Petition thing is only there for PR to you think it may make a difference.

There again, I think they do look at it after a certain figure is reached.

Best plan would probably be to find out where these developments are taking place and should you live in that town to do it locally, through Council and MP.
Again, trying not to be too political, but if you're in a Tory area like me, it will have zero effect as it's their policy.

Not anti-Tory, probably be the same with any Party if they can see a quick buck !

Richard

[bmpsands]

I have signed the petition. If the petition really takes off, and loads of people sign, it may have little effect on this round of sales but perhaps future administrations will be wary of agreeing to any more.

I live in hope. (and for my Derbyshire friends I will complete the saying "and will die in Bakewell).

[KathJ]

Signed. It could do with some celebrity backing like Hugh FW or Jamie Oliver

[Aspasia]

Signed.

Thanks for the heads-up, Richard, and thanks for the petition link, LL.

[bmpsands]

I've now sent the link to my friend, who is a member of our local allotment society. I'd have thought she would already be aware of the petition but seemingly not.

Bea

[jackian]

I do a blog for our allotments and i did a page on this last week. It would be great if you could all take a look. There is also an online petition that I have a link on there for .
I hope you like my blog too.
http://fhallotments.wordpress.com/2014/ ... -sell-off/

Jackie .

[silky]

I can see were your all coming from, however, once being a town councillor and an allotment secretary I can see the point from both sides.

In Gainsborough, (a small market town) we had 11 allotment sites (1981). Only one of those sites was full, the others being partly used. The site I was secretary for had 125 large plots of which 71 were un-used and a few of us gardeners’ had two plots. Most of the other sites were in the same kind of state.

At the council meeting it was decided that one of the sites which were rented from a farmer, would be handed back to save money. The plot holders on that site had their sheds and greenhouses dismantled and transported and erected on another site free of charge and they had two years free plots to get their plots back up to standard.

The ones that came to our site got a hand in digging over their new plot to make it easy for them to start planting again.

Though the council may be closing some sites they have to provide allotments by law.

There are now only five allotment sites left in the town and two of them are still only partly used.

John

[Richard]

Hi

Yes, they have to make another Site, within two miles I think it is.

I went to a local Allotment last week to ask a few Plot Holders what they thought and surprisingly they hadn't heard much about it, they were more concerned about when a Plot becomes vacant, they re-let it in quarters, halves or thirds etc.
Must say that after seeing the size of some of the Plots there, they're almost smallholdings and enough to feed 50 or more!

However, that's another thread maybe.

The argument for re-locating is one more of soil. Existing Allotments have become very fertile over the years. To have a new one is going to take time to settle.

My view on it is, if Councils take the Land away to build houses, why don't they build houses on the site they're providing a new Allotment !!

Richard