What to look for when choosing an allotment?

Water - how far is it. If it's a trek you may wish to get a water carrier that they use for camping. Also I saw somewhere, and I can't remember where, that they had the Blue barrels all down one side of the allotment ( about every 10 or 15 ft) with a sort of Lych gate over it and a spouting, this was used to collect rain water to fill the butts.

Soil type - a rough idea can be gleaned from the weeds that are on the plot. Docks tend to like acid soils for instance. The amount of weeds isn't a real problem as you can always spray with round up, then dig ( removing all the weed roots) then you'll get another flush of weed seedlings that can be either hoe'd off or spray again. Also a tip I was given that seems to work. The baskets used for delivering Bread, if you can aquire some you put them upside down and put the weeds on this so they are off the ground and the Sun will dry them up then after a couple of weeks they can be added to the compost bin and the rot down - it works as well!!
We've got a soild type flowchart on the lottie site under new beginers stuff

Shed's & Greenhouses - definately a must have big as you can in both cases You need the shed to brew up in and the greenhouse is really a glorified Big Coldframe unless your retired and can go down every day to check on the heaters, but can be used for tomatoes etc in the summer.

Vehicle access - important if you want a load of Muck tipping as it's heavy stuff to Barrow a long way

Shop- Does the site have one, if so what do they have? We resurrected ours last year and it didn't do too well, it just about broke even. But this year it's took off and we have had quite a lot of money out of the shop and it is now self financing ( we've only got 64 plots remeber)

Power tools - does the site own a rotavator or can you borrow one from somewhere. It can save you loads of time in the initial stages if you are trying to fit it in with other things.

As Snadger says you can work around a site with Club root but it make it hard going althought ther are some varieties now that are supposed to be more resistant. The Security is another issue but it's more liekley to be a problem on a "quiet" site than one thats fully populated & busy. As too neighbours, if they have screaming kids running all over you don't want that. But you'll find most lottie neighbours are more than happy to help especially if you give them a bit of Bull and make them feel important and that there advice is really valuable They are quite genorous as well ( well they are on our site) and you'll come awaay with all sorts.

Hope that helps