Carpet on allotment - help needed

is it still in situ? can you take pics of it?

if it's clear it's half-grown into the site then at least you can show you didn't bring it.

You may find that you are obliged to take it away (you'll need to check your lease), but being able to show that you didn't put it there will help.

Who runs your site? are they approachable?

Thank you bikermike,

I have taken pictures, but I haven't received my paper work yet, the allotment officer said I should receive this in about two weeks. Will have to check my lease then.

Not sure how approachable the council are yet, think I will ask the other allotment holders, but with the bad weather only seen one other allotment holder.

Maybe tackle it head on and get in touch with allotment officer and tell them that you're disappointed to find a lot of carpet on your plot, having been told it isn't allowed. That you're willing to remove it (at enormous effort) but can they provide a skip for you to dispose of it in...

Yes, definitely take some photos, as that will be a great help if you have to ‘prove’ you didn’t put it there.

Have a chat with your site rep and/or allotment officer, so that they also are aware that the carpet was there when you took on the plot. Rules vary from one council to another, so check the wording in your contract; we are not allowed to bring carpet onto the site, and should remove it “where possible” which gives a bit of leeway for the less physically able plot holders and non drivers . Some sites also get skips occasionally too.

We originally had carpet under about a third of our plot, which was quite overgrown despite the carpets. We spent the first year getting the other two thirds dug over and into production, and just strimmed the carpeted area once a month to stop the weeds getting back up to 6 feet and setting seed...
This winter we have started to remove the carpet. Started at one corner and used a combination of 2 spades and a mattock to roll back the carpet (plus secateurs to chop through the weed roots which were holding it down), then an old pair of Safeway's kitchen scissors and a stanley knife to cut the carpet into 4’ pieces so we could put it in the car and take to the tip. The deeper layers, which have less weed roots, are easier to cut through - so don’t despair too much when you do the first bit and find another carpet with a different pattern underneath it!

It is a slow process; with two of us working at it on every dry weekend, we will have cleared enough for two 4*10’ beds this winter. I would also caution that your car will smell of wet carpet, so if you have a nice/newish car you might want to consider a towbar and trailer!

Good luck ;-)

Thank you Snoop Puss, I may ask them if they can at least arrange for someone to collect it, as I don't think we are allowed skips either on or outside the allotment.

You might not be allowed a skip, but the council probably would be. If they do agree to a skip, make sure you arrive at about the same time, otherwise it's liable to get filled by other people making the most of it. Good luck.

Thank you Chestnut,

My husband thinks he will be able to get the carpet out once the weather is dryer, I really don't want to put it is the car, so may see if we can borrow a truck if the council won't collect it.

We have already removed lots of iron work, barbed wire, netting & rubbish to the local tip and have removed wild vegetation from one of the beds. Hoping to clear another bed and weed them completely this weekend, weather permitting. As well as clearing a couple of the overgrown paths/ walkways

Sounds like you need a skip.............delivered to site for free hopefully!

You'll want to get the carpet out whilst the ground is still moist if not wet and the weeds down. It is so much easier lifting a carpet when the soil is soft enough to release some of the roots.

Best luck.