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  • mad as a hot cross bunny

    I have been given an allotment by council and is a right state broken glass, rotten shed, an elder with ten years growth asbestos corrigated steel, a everyone elses rubbish for again ten years, i guess its my fault for not viewing before i signed (well i wasnt asked to). Plus 6 inch nail in foot i thought safety boots would protect me. Is there anything i can do?

  • #2
    Sounds a bit like the plot i have just taken on a rubish tip, but im happy to have got one so just going to do my best and work little by little, till i can get it up and running ready for planting.
    Nails can get through anything hope your foot feels better soon.
    Smile and the world smiles with you

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    • #3
      Unfortunately, I think it sounds par for the course. I think all you can do is look forward to how good it will be to sort it out and the satisfaction of knowing you've reclaimed a fabulous growing space from a rubbish strewn wilderness.
      I was feeling part of the scenery
      I walked right out of the machinery
      My heart going boom boom boom
      "Hey" he said "Grab your things
      I've come to take you home."

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      • #4
        break it down into small manageble sections, & cover the rest until you can get to it, if you keep looking at the whole plot it does become very soul destroying....this way you can clear & plant so you get something this year to show for your labours
        The love of gardening is a seed once sown never dies ...

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        • #5
          I would try ringing them, first ask to the Allotments Officer if they have one, explain the situation & ask if any help is available to new plot holders. If you can't do that, try speaking to the 'Waste Management' department, ask if they can do a special collection if you can get the rubbish to a specific pick up point. They will have rules for the asbestos stuff, usually it has to be wrapped in a double thickness of plastic. Anything wooden you can have a major bonfire to get rid of.
          I would recommend a brush-cutter (heavy duty petrol strimmer), then a rake which should uncover any half hidden nasties.
          I do hope you can manage to get some help, from friends & relatives if not from a more official source. Free beer is often a good incentive?!
          Good luck

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          • #6
            Mine was a right state too, but I was just glad to get one. Some councils are better than others. Some will collect the junk if you can get it to a collection point. Some just leave you to it. Contact your allotments officer (the person who told you you'd got the plot) and ask a few pertinent questions.

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            • #7
              Hi, mine was quite grim also.I had no broken glass though.
              You will be amazed how quick you can transform it.
              Use your upset/annoyance as a "right you bugger, let me at it " kind of power.
              As bad as it looks now once you start you will see that little by little the mess it is now becomes something totally different, and you will then say "i did that".
              Take on the challenge, ask for help,take pictures, and prove yourself and everyone else wrong.
              Minty
              " If it tastes like chicken THEN EAT CHICKEN " :- Kermit The Frog


              http://mohicans-allotment.blogspot.com/

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              • #8
                I don't know about the lottie but a 6" nail in the foot sounds like a trip to A&E pronto for a Tetanus jab followed by a snotty letter to the councils Health and Safety dept suggesting they get some workies over to your lottie to make it safe!
                I you'st to have a handle on the world .. but it BROKE!!

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                • #9
                  Sounds similar to the first allotment I had. There was a mound covering about 1/4 of it and when I dug through the weeds I found it had been the communal burning place for the whole allotments with glass half burned plastic and barbed wire in among it. I took all the rubbish out and the soil was red where it had been burned.
                  It's one redeeming quality when I was finished was it was the only place on the plot which DIDN't have clubroot! The burning of the soil had burned it out!
                  Good luck with yours!
                  My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
                  to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

                  Diversify & prosper


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                  • #10
                    Hi
                    Yes, do contact the council allotment officer, I did and got a skip arranged to carry away all the rubbish, collapsed shed, road signs, plastic, broken glass etc.
                    And do take lots of pictures as you gradually transform it. Feeling down about progress any time and get them out and marvel at what you have done.
                    Got the nail treatment too and my Doctor was horrified I didn't have tetanus so got given it pronto and polio too for some reason.

                    You'll get there in the end, little and often. I started in one corner and the allotment has gradually taken over from the wasteland. I look at pictures of me standing beside one raised bed in a sea of wilderness and mud three years ago and now I've got 17 of them! Wouldn't have believed it if you'd told me at the time.

                    Sue

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                    • #11
                      hi there,
                      i got a lottie from someone who had passed away and everyone had dumpedtheir rubbis on it as well as his hoardes of 'might come i usefuls for god knows how many years'. my lottie secretary is arranging a skip as she has a few more with rubbish on to clear as part of her job so its worth asking about one. mine is covered in glass and it keeps appearing erytime i go eve after clearing up. think it might be bing blown from somewhere but not too sure.
                      it might be worthasking if they are willig to reduce or scrap the rent for the first year due to the abismal state it may sound cheeky but its worth a try.
                      joolz x

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                      • #12
                        my new allotments like that, its overgrown with brambles ,when i accepted it i told them it was overgrown and i got the first years rent free, i've covered most of it after one of the blokes on the allotment strimmed it for me (they're all so helpful and friendly)and i've been working at the back where a shed had been ,which had gone on fire,as i was clearing it i found rusted metal, burnt plastic, buried rubbish, alsorts and dont get me started on how much glass i found i kept taking my recycling box down filling it with glass and filling my recycling bin with it .when i asked why there was so much glass i was told it had been used for dumping broken glass cloches. not pleased but i,ve managed to dig that part now .i found enough bricks to cover 12foot of the path so i'm getting their bit by bit and i take a photo every other day and you dont notice how much work you,ve done til you look back at them. on another plus note i've lost a stone in weight and feel so much fitter and my sis is sooo jealous.!
                        Last edited by Sheryl Mc; 27-03-2008, 11:23 AM. Reason: to add

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                        • #13
                          I don't know if it's any consolation, but ours was like that four years ago. It took us three years to completely clear it. We had so much scrap metal on ours that we had to ask a dealer to come and take it away, he completely filled his lorry, then had to come back again every few months as whenever we cleared brambles we found yet more metal underneath. But the plot is beautiful now and at least it's laid out exactly how we want it and not how a previous tenant wanted it, so there are some advantages to starting from scratch. We took it slowly, but even the first year we managed to grow some worthwhile crops
                          Into each life some rain must fall........but this is getting ridiculous.

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                          • #14
                            not easy mine was like that but if you have asbestos in it the council will have to clear that by law it comes down to health & safety.good luck !

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                            • #15
                              I feel sorry for you, hope your foot is better soon.

                              Apparently some sites do clear plots before they are let but such good management is unfortunatly rare. The situation you have is very common.

                              I would ask your council for help re the possible asbestos - they are obliged to deal with such a hazard. Once you have a council officer on site you may be able to wangle a reduction or waver of the rent for this year as they will see the problem you are facing. Bear in mind that they may never have seen your plot and will be working from a computer listing!

                              As said previously use your anger constructively and do take photos - it is amazing what can be done in a weekend.

                              By the way - welcome to the 'vine!

                              Terry
                              The weeks and the years are fine. It's the days I can't cope with!

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