Grow Your Own Magazine

Hi everyone

GYO would like to know if anyone has any tips on how 'beat the waiting list' to get an allotment?

They're also on the lookout for a couple of Grapes to tell them their stories of how they did this and they may make it into the magazine

If anyone has any tips, please post them in here, and anyone interested in potentially having their story published, please post your interest in here too. GYO can then contact you from this thread (please don't post you're contact details on here though)

Cheers
Shortie

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Shortie

"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children; one of these is roots, the other wings" - Hodding Carter

Hi Shortie!

Would love to help, as we got our plot 2 days after first deciding we wanted one, but as it was just before allotments and GYOing took off and became sooo popular and trendy, then I'm not sure we count!

Basically, we looked up details of where they were on the net, emailed the council liason, then went to the plot twice in 2 days on a weekend, hoping to catch someone that could tell us if there were any free, and which ones they were. The second trip we hit the jackpot, met the council liason and took the plot we were offered immediately, literally starting to clear it within 20 mins of getting the plot! After 3 months of double digging over the winter we were offered a 2nd half plot, which we took, and at the end of last year we approached the council liason and asked to go onto the waiting list for a second full plot adjacent to our first full plot, (with the understanding we would give up our half plot if we got a second full plot), fortunately, the plot we wanted came vacant 8 weeks ago, and we've now completely cleared and planted it up!

Hope thats of some help!

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Blessings
Suzanne (aka Mrs Dobby)

'Garden naked - get some colour in your cheeks'!

The Dobby's Pumpkin Patch - a blogspot work in progress!
Last updated 10th August 2008 - updates!

When I first decided to go for it and try and get a lottie, I toured all our local sites. There was one site in particular that, to me, seemed streets ahead of the rest in terms of being open, friendly and well tended. Of course it was full and had a waiting list! I put my name down anyway and went back for another look. By chance, I got chatting with an existing plot holder and was explaining to him how much I liked the site but how long the waiting list was, when he asked me if I'd looked at plot [x]. Well, I had but I hadn't really realised it was actually a plot! It was the very end plot on a site of almost 100 and was well on it's way back to nature. Covered in brambles, bindweed and couch grass, most of it taller than me. On closer inspection though, there was shed, a derelict greenhouse (of sorts!) and several plum trees!

I rang the council the next day to enquire about it and was told the plot was unavailable, as there weren't the resources to clear it. I asked 'what if I did it myself?' and after a small silence (probably covering the mouthpiece to laugh! ) the lady came back with 'would a year's rent free period be acceptable?' I snapped it up and have been hard at work ever since, without a moment of regret!

I'd be thrilled to be in print and have before, progress and after pics (not that I'm done yet!).

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http://thankyouforthedays.blogspot.com/

Always look on the bright side of life...
I mean - what have you got to lose?
You know, you come from nothing - you're going back to nothing.
What have you lost? Nothing!

Nothing is better than a bit of pester power, visit the local site, find out who is the head honcho and make yourself known, show your willing and keep on visiting on the 'off chance' asking questions. In short make friends with the people that matter. This obviously works better on private sites rather than the faceless council worker who probably doesn't even know where the site is!

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Kernow rag nevra

The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits
Albert Einstein

Just be ordinary and nothing special. Eat your food, move your bowels, pass water and when your'e tired go and lie down. The ignorant will laugh at me, but the wise will understand
Bruce Lee

Definitely visit your local sites, check them out as regards plots that look neglected. Try to pick a time when there are people about (weekends are good) and get chatting. Explain that you really want an allotment. If there are neglected plots you may be able to take one of them over as Seahorse did cos the managers won't advertise it unless it's clear. You may also find that someone has taken on a plot and can't really manage all of it and would be willing to share. Personal contact is definitely the way to go, rather than council waiting lists. Works even better if you have a good site representative.

My top tip would be to make friends with the allotment officer!! I'd had my name on the list for a while when my father in law got a letter offering him a lottie. When he met up with the lottie lady I went with him & enthused about all things lottie and said I'd accept any plot she could offer. I emailed her on almost a daily basis, pointing out plots I'd seen on sites that looked like they hadn't been worked, and every time she emailed me back saying that when I reached the top of the list, she'd be in touch. I rang and left messages on her answerphone, again pointing out neglected plots. I emailed her asking if she knew of anyone that was maybe struggling to work their plots, offering to help with digging, weeding etc. In short, I made a nuisance of myself but I did eventually (well all in all it took me 5 weeks of pestering) get an email offering me a totally overgrown plot that I think she thought I'd turn down, but I jumped at it. I've got 125sq meters which will cost me £19 a year (paid in arrears) but as it was so overgrown, I got the first year free, so my first rent will be due in March 2010. Result!!!!

Make a personal contact - go in person to the council offices, arrange to meet the site rep and be positive and friendly. Show commitment but be sensible when talking about your plans to convert a plot from an overgrown and neglected 'jungle' to a productive growing area.

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Julie

If there are huge waiting lists its worthlooking out for a bit of unused land and asking the council about it, our allotment is on a small unused patch of land between housing estates.

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Yo an' Bob
Walk lightly on the earth
take only what you need
give all you can
and your produce will be bountifull

My tip would be to consider allotments that are not necessarily close to home - think about close to work as well!

My one hour lunchbreaks used to be spent at my desk working, as there was little else to do locally. I had bought a copy of the '30 minute allotment' and thought it would be a good way to spend my lunchtime. So I got onto the councils website and checked out where the allotments were, and was pleased to find one quite close to work. A couple of phone calls, followed by a couple of visits and I was offered the pick of about 9 vacant allotments. I ended up taking on a half plot and have managed to get there for my 30 minutes on most days.
I dont mind having the tip published, if its of interest!

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Frank
....never buy a dwarf with learning difficulties - it's not big and its not clever!

In my experience, you absolutely have to show your face. People just ignore letters, phone calls and emails.
Turn up to the site ~ there's usually somebody there on a Saturday before lunch ~ and get chatting. Find out which ones are empty, meet the Rep, get your name down.
It may not be right, but Reps will give a plot to someone they like, who seems keen, rather than someone "on the waiting list" that they don't know from Adam.

(I am thinking of giving up half of my lotty ~ and I want it to go to somebody who will turn up & keep the weeds down, be chatty but not a pest, and who won't use sprays. If I don't get someone like that, then I won't give up my plot at all.)

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~ What do I think of Western civilisation? I think it would be a very good idea ~ Gandhi

I am surprised that you want to publish an article on how to cheat.

Why not do some genuine journalistic investigation instead to reveal the flaws and help the system improve for everyone.

If I was on a waiting list I would be fuming.

see my thread 'chasing a new allotment' in this forum

Can I just put a word in for the person who dishes out the plots in my case I have no free allotments on the site I deal with, a few on warnings, but if someone asks me about a allotment I appologise then explain it will be about 3 years before they get a plot I ask them to contact me once a year to show that they are still interested and invite them to have a chat to me on the site. If the allotments are run correctly there is no way to cheat the list its got to be done fairly. The only piece of hope to people on long lists I can give is were on a peak Jamies collecting produce from his plot and cooking it in his garden, Joes bit has been cleared and is looking great , and GMTV is telling us how great it is but its never wet and cold on their plots they never show them trying to force frozen sprouts of the stems. So if your serious and not influenced by the telly it will soon be another trough and the lists will be shorter

I got my plot without waiting, but not by moving up the waiting list.

I enquired about the allotments. There are 3 sites around our village and the council lady assumed I had wanted one from the most popular site, telling me there were at least 3-5 others ahead of me on the waiting list and she didn't know when one plot would become free. Actually, I wanted a plot from the site closest to me. When I explained I wanted one of those, she exclaimed, "Oh, well there's lots of those available, you can have one of them straight away!"

My suggestion would be to make sure you know about all the possible allotment sites around you, as it's possible some might have a waiting list, but others not.

Yes, Growem, I agree with what you have said

I have been reading the various posts on getting an allotment plot, and a couple of things seem to crop up quite often

1 Get out and visit your local areas and allotments as you can sometimes find a neglected plot, if you're willing to take it on

2 Try to have a sensible, face to face conversation with the Allotment Officer

I was recently trying to get a plot for one of my friends on my site, but the waiting list has gone way up since 4 years ago ... nowadays they suggest you get yourself put on the list, and then call the allotment contact every 3 months to check how you are progressing, as people sometimes leave / move out of the area etc. and don't let the site know they're no longer interested. Also, some people get on more than one waiting list and forget to let the other one know when they've got a plot.

Also, allotment societies appear to be allocating smaller plots at the moment, due to the increased demand, so you may only get offered a half or a quarter plot, rather than a full one. The good thing about this is it means that when one person leaves, two people may get a plot. (...and a half plot is WAY enough to look after if you also have a f/t job!)

They tend to be strict about the order of the waiting list, so if you try and "beat the system" you may get removed from the list altogether. Allotment societies do talk to each other, so if you do this at one site, others may refuse to accept you on to their waiting list.

Even if there's a waiting list, do see if you can go down and be shown round the site, so that you know what sort of commitment you would be letting yourself in for / what facilities there are / the general condition of the site / whether the people are friendly / whether the committee are likely to be approachable etc. Do check whether you're allowed "structures" e.g. a shed, as some sites don't allow them.

Sometimes when you do get offered a plot, you'll get a few months notice so you can start planting seeds at home so they're ready to go in when you can get on your plot. Also means you have the time to start saving up for seeds / tools / shed / chiropractor(!) etc.

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Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

Approach your local Parish Council - apparently if there are a large number of people waiting for allotments they are obliged to find extra sites. Our parish was looking for ground and I called and suggested a plot I knew was empty - they approached the District council and they agreed to let us have the land on license - it's long shot, but worked for us!

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How can a woman be expected to be happy with a man who insists on treating her as if she were a perfectly normal human being.”

We were on the waiting list for about 3 1/2 years, we rang, we e-mailed, we even took a video to show how many were empty and not being used. The council then decided to reclaim 10 that had stood empty for ten years!!!!!! - 10 years worth of rubbish, there was talk of turning it in to a graveyard but the bank is quite steep i think the bodies would have rolled down.I could get cross because a couple of the "old boys" have three plots each, no wonder there is such a long waiting list. But if you really are keen then you'll wait some people see it as a trendy fad.

Speaking as the Secretary of our site I always find large denomination notes paid into the committee's swiss bank account helps

Seriously, We're full at the moment (65 plots) and I've been trying to get the council to open another site in the village as we now have about 20 on the list and that's been from January this year. The only thing we can do is get tough with people already on site and enforce the rules which isn't going down too well as in the past half the site has been empty and folks we left to get on with things as they didn't want to loose them.

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ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

Go round allotment sites making a note of allotments which appear to be unused Then inform the council or whoever runs the site.
Then remind them of the fact that there is a waiting list.

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There is no such thing as truth. People who really know what happened aren't talking. And the people who don't have a clue, you can't shut them up.
Tom Waits

We have a waiting list of 17 and there are two ways to jump it.

One take on a "new" plot.....bascally you go off with the Ground Steward with a rope, a hammer and 4 posts. He takes you to the new field and measures a plot and bangs in the 4 posts. Then if you are brave or stupid enought you take it on. Your first job is to find your way back to the path past all the brambles and blackberrys.

Or

You have a skill we need....If you want to work in the Trading hut, or can fix the site Mowers...then you are in.

BUT if you say you will not help on t