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[Mark Durham]

I've contacted Lord Lambton's Estates on several occasions in regards to hiring one of their allotments. L.L.E own a whole heap of land in County Durham, much of it gained from the community during the early days of the coal industry. The point is that they simply will not reply to my phone calls & s.a.e's - fobbing off phone calls with various excuses. They do own allotment land but also deal in expensive redevelopment type projects. A reply would be nice. Perhaps allotments are not seen as part of the company's future - too little return. Has anyone else encountered such problems with their local private land owners?

[Snadger]

Would you not be better off contacting Durham County Council? The Council are obligated to supply allotments and may be able to point you in the right direction?

Welcome to the vine btw!

[SarzWix]

Do you know where any of these allotment sites are? Perhaps you'd be better off visiting the actual site, maybe on a Sat/Sun morning when there'll be people about, and you can ask one or two plot-holders how they got theirs? If you're lucky, there might even be a committee member on site, or a site representative (depending how they are run).

Good luck

[Mark Durham]

Sites

Do you know where any of these allotment sites are? Perhaps you'd be better off visiting the actual site, maybe on a Sat/Sun morning when there'll be people about, and you can ask one or two plot-holders how they got theirs? If you're lucky, there might even be a committee member on site, or a site representative (depending how they are run).

Good luck

I visit the sites in question quite often. The sites are not physically attached to the houses but rather come with the house that is rented/bought from Lord Lambton and a rental paid for use. Some are used as allotments and some as gardens/allotments and some become garages. However, some are simply left to over-grow. After talking to the residents it was suggested that the only way forward would be to contact the land-owner in regards to un-used sites - and this is what I did but to no avail.
I have tried the local council's in question - Sunderland/County Durham - but the usual 2 year plus waiting list kicks in. Also many sites attract the attentions of the local vandal brigade and become virtually un-tenable- the Lord Lambton sites appear relatively free of their attentions.

[allotmentlady]

contact the local newspaper, who can contact Lord Lambton and ask on your behalf, explain the non response and the various excuses, it can work!!!

[Mark Durham]

Yes....

contact the local newspaper, who can contact Lord Lambton and ask on your behalf, explain the non response and the various excuses, it can work!!!

That sounds like a very good idea, thank you!