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When I was in uk I was lucky enough to have a allotment, which is only one of the few I missed. We grew tons of stuff and enjoyed every minute on it.All I have managed here is tomatos.... most stuff just goes to seed before it has developed!

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Don't start me off on allotments!!!!

Because of the popularisation of allotments in the plethora of UK TV gardening programmes, the demand for these rare and sacred pieces of ground has risen. Problem, the greedy and corrupt local authorities sold them off for profit, probably insubstantial too, to local developers for housing, consequently theres a huge shortage. The current waiting list as of last week was 100,000 nationwide. What are the councils doing about it, nothing, they could release urban peripheral land, but won't because in their eyes it would contravene their own pathetic planning rules.

The National Trust, bless 'em, announced last week that they were releasing land on some of their suitably sited properties and would provide 1000 new allotments nationally, not a huge amount, but it's a good start, where are the councils responses to that then, I've heard nothing, not surprising is it.

When I lived in Finchingfield, the village allotments were well kept and well used, what happened, the occupants were presented with an enforcement order and cleared off the site. The dimwitted Local Authority shot themselves in the foot because the land constituted back land development with no access, it remains overgrown and abandoned to this day, w@@@@@@s, they haven't a clue.

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If there is a minimum of 6 individuals the local authority has by rights got to provide a disused area (council owned) .As we all know there are pleanty of these. With regard to 'gardening programmes' hugh fernley whitting something or other spoke about the rights for unused land....

Yes it may well be 'fashionable' to grow your own...but does it really matter as there is nothing more healthy and rewarding.

Incidentially, when we took on our allotment a few years back, most of the allotments were in a right mess.... things changed as it became more popular.... wish I had one here!

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Slightly off topic,Mariag,but I gave quite a time `allotment' to replying to your query re Adelaide. I was logged in ,but by the time I had finished my single finger exercise my `allotted' time had expired!(so my reply was lost.)Not rudeness on my part -blame the web site.

Also my blurb on the prison system etc was much better,but this too went with the wind.

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Slightly off topic,Mariag,but I gave quite a time `allotment' to replying to your query re Adelaide. I was logged in ,but by the time I had finished my single finger exercise my `allotted' time had expired!(so my reply was lost.)Not rudeness on my part -blame the web site.

Also my blurb on the prison system etc was much better,but this too went with the wind.

Would love to hear about Adelaide Stan!!!1

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If there is a minimum of 6 individuals the local authority has by rights got to provide a disused area (council owned) .As we all know there are pleanty of these.

Is this here or Australia?

Our town has several allotment sites but according to their web site there is a big waiting list on each one. So if they are legally bound to provide additional areas, and I know they have plenty, how are they getting away with it, or is it easy for them to say that it's earmarked for other purposes. It doesn't take much to download their interactive planning maps and find out exactly what it's supposed to be going to be used for, though I think it's probably diguised to cover up for senior council members pension plans.

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Sorry firbeck - got side tracked with Australia. Indeed councils do have to provide land but it may not be 'allotment' land it may well be near no water etc.... you will have to enquire as to how it works but as I say Hugh Fernley (river cottage fame) had found the legislation, my step father also heard this. Perhaps google it? There has to be a group of at least 6 individuals.

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My old man had an allotment for 40 years, and as such we were self sufficiant in soft fruit and veg all year round .

Only trouble was that there was no water supply until just a couple of years before he died. During the long hot summer of 1976 my dad was seriously ill and muggins here was charged with watering the allotment. This entailed filling an 8 gallon drum and taking it in my dads wheelbarrow for a walk of about a mile twice a day!! Still it was worth it when I got my first crop af carrots and guzgogs!!!

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Guzgogs!!! now that's a lovely word I haven't heard for a long time, my old man had two bushes in the garden and the best one is still there, trouble is I used to eat so many of them off the bushes that there was hardly enough for me mother to make guzgog tarts.

Mariag

Plenty of info on allotments, your legislation dates back to the 1908 Allotment Act, which from what I understand from this interesting enquiry at No 10, still holds good:-

http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page16920

There are huge tracts of undeveloped land around the town owned by Braintree District Council, in and around industrial estates which have water connections, no excuses there then, I'll have to try and find out more from BDC. Perhaps if I get the latest job I've applied for as environmental and planning enforcement officer at BDC, I will be on the inside, fingers crossed.

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  • 8 months later...

Great news, I've had a phone call from the Bocking Allotment people and they are writing to us to say we've got one.

Considering that we only applied last spring, thats pretty quick reactions considering the waiting list for council allotments.

This place is owned by Bocking Club, which is the former workingmans club for Courtaulds, Bocking is a kind of village on the edge of Braintree and their allotments are positioned overlooking a lovely valley and away from the main town and all it's vandalism problems.

I gather that their charges are only £10 a year, water is only available from a tap on a nearby cottage, but it's better than nowt and beside, they've told me that they are negotiating with Anglia Water to put a main in to the site.

Woo hoo, can't wait to get in there.

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Will that mean Pete you won’t have as much time as you do now to be on here?

Maybe the allotment has Wi-Fi as well has running water, that would be nice.

Bip.

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  • 3 months later...

Will that mean Pete you won’t have as much time as you do now to be on here?

Maybe the allotment has Wi-Fi as well has running water, that would be nice.

Bip.

Dear Admin

Please can you remove this excresence.

Cheers.

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Full speed ahead last weekend, having been given a large plot a week ago, we moved in on Saturday.

The old boy who formerly ran it had covered everything in carpets so digging was relatively easy, this was Saturday lunchtime, we'd already prepared two beds:

allotment006.jpg

allotment008.jpg

The view across the valley is lovely, the place is full of bird life, woodpeckers, even buzzards, we've already dug over the large bed in front:

allotment012.jpg

By late Sunday afternoon everything was dug, Liz had planted broad beans and peas, a neighbour gave us some strawberry plants and we're looking forward to the Easter weekend when we can get the spuds and all the rest of the stuff in. The quality of the soil is amazing and we've inherited raspberries, red currants and rhubarb, but while digging it over we dug up 5 large carrier bags of spuds, which are a little chewed but lovely.

Some great characters on site including a lovely eccentric Chinese lady who's a bee enthusiast, can't wait for the weekend.

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Congratulations! That`s brilliant news.

I`ve had my allotment for about ten years and it`s wonderful to eat (and freeze for the hungry gap) our veg and fruit each year.

Our rent is £24 a year but we have mains water near each plot - I`ve actually got a tap on my plot but use my rainwater butts when I can.

And we also have flush lavvies on site. Useful when you`re there all day in summer.

Keep us informed of progress, eh?

And congrats again! I`m so pleased for you! !congrats!

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Well done Pete. A relative has just got hold of an allotment at nearby Woodborough and I'm looking forward to joining in a family project getting that straightened out. Nothing finer - very good for the soul is growing stuff - especially food.

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You all seemed very enthusiastic with digging soil that so much that I thought if one of you could nip over to mine I have tons of the stuff that needs turning.

Isn’t enthusiasm great….pity it don’t last.

This year I’m planning on growing the same as last year.

Do you think I shall need any chemicals to help the weeds to grow and to keep down the green fly?

36.

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All for the grand sum of £5 a year, there is a formerly associated workingmans club next door, the whole exercise was all originally part of the Courtaulds Mill empire, before Thatcher destroyed it in the 80's. If I wait a few months, I can join the Bocking Club for £3 a year then I can have a pint of local Shalford Bitter and the use of their posh toilets.

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You all seemed very enthusiastic with digging soil that so much that I thought if one of you could nip over to mine I have tons of the stuff that needs turning.

Isn’t enthusiasm great….pity it don’t last.

This year I’m planning on growing the same as last year.

Do you think I shall need any chemicals to help the weeds to grow and to keep down the green fly?

36.

I would prefer it if you drank the chemicals yourself, useless pests need irradicating.

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