[apes1978]

Hi, ive just taken over a corner plot a few weeks ago, the problem is that the nasty wire fence the council probably erected 500bc is falling to pieces and has holes where anyone and dogs can just walk through, even though on the lease agreement, it states that dogs on the allotment must be on leads, but people walking their dogs on the playing field next door let their dogs mess on the allotment as there is no gate and holes in the fence!

I was talking to a fellow allotment holder last night and he says that hes been trying for 5 years now to get a new fence and they wont do it, do you think they would have a problem if i erected my own fence inside the boundries of my plot, to kind of join the blackberry bushes on other plots ajoined to mine, and put a gate in, as there is not one? ( i didnt want bushes as i need a quick fix, as footballs keep coming in!)

My boyfriend works in building and can get me new fencing or heris fencing for practically nothing!

would like to know everyone's opinion before i contact the council.

[John]

I suspect the council will be well pleased if you do their job for them at no cost to them.
(Rant about council waste deleted as life is too short)

[apes1978]

cheers john.

[Oliver]

...  trying for 5 years now to get a new fence and they won't do it,

Every agreement has rights and obligations on both sides.
This is a clear case of keeping up the pressure - the law states that allotment moneis must be spent on allotments - so what is your rent used for? It should be used to do things to the allotments like fencing, paying for water used by allotment holders, keeping unused plots tidy (strimming the weeds and grass, etc).
Obviously if you pay very little rent you can expect very little in return, but, if you take the accrual of allotment monies over several years, with no action by the Council, then there should be some money available for allotments. Alltoments are not there to make a profit for the Council.

Perhaps you can suggest to the Council that your boyfiend, who works in the building trade, can get a good price for fencing to replace what is clearly the Council's responsibility. So perhaps the Council could get the fencing from this place via some good offices of your boyfriend (if possible) and hire a man to erect it.

Speak to the Clerk of the Council first and see what his/her view is (it is always useful to get this person 'on side'). Get some fellow allotment holders to attend Council Meetings. Write to the Council requesting action and a reply. (Council's are obliged to do all sorts of things Parishioners don't know about). During 'public participation' (if your Council has this) get someone to speak about fixing the fence. Try to keep things friendly and reasonable (Councillors are people just like you, play on their better natures . If things get bad they can be reminded somehow that the elections are coming up ...

They have just such a case on their plots: they have been attending Council meeting for some 3 years (it all started when the Council decided that the allotments were prime land for sale! but our campaign ensured that this was defeated)

Now our allotment society keeps an eye on things and has recently asked the Council to get the Council handyman to sort out the fence which is in a bad way. This is being done . We also got the water troughs installed and the handyman strimms the weeds on unlet plots.

Someone needs to keep the Council awake. If nothing is done by anyone, nothing happens. It is not allotment holders job to do the Council's work for them. But it is part of the 'Dunkirk spirit' if both parties work together.

I know John thinks life is too short .... council rant and all that, but the last thing we want to see is allotments being sold because they are not worked, or looked after by anyone.

There is a case on this Forum of someone saying 'sadly the allotments have been sold'. Well, sadly perhaps a vigorous campaign was not mounted? or it may be that the old allotments were not such a good position (soil condition, etc) as the new ones, although this is highly unlikely!!

Councils have to meet certain criteria before allotments can be sold and they may need permission from the appropriate government authority too. People often don't know this and just let things happen because they 'think' they are powerless.

Our local newspaper reporter (that's also an idea, get letters off to the paper and get an article in!) said when he was a rookie reported his editor told him: three things to avoid, if at all possible RELIGION, POLITICS and ALLOTMENTS. You can see why!
some background, if you are interested.

[apes1978]

I pay £16.44 a year, well im waiting for my first invoice to come, but the other allotment holder says he has a very thick file going back 5 years, where he has tried to get things done like the fence and moving the one water tap we have to the middle of the plot for easier access, and he has had meetings on the site with council members and other meetings and nothing has been done!  

I have put a couple of really old wooden fence panels up for now, not high enough though, but they dont look too good! maybe they will get complaints and do something? if not then i will contact them about putting my own in around my plot.

In our agreement it says that the tenent has a duty to upkeep fences and bushes, but it is the previous tenents who obviously did not do this, so it shouldnt really be up to me should it, as a new tenent?

[hermon]

you are the new tenant so maybe it should be you, find all the things you "can't do" and do them!! :twisted:

[Oliver]

the agreement it says that the tenent has a duty to upkeep fences and bushes

Yes, their agreement says the same. A fine 'get out clause' for the council. They often think they hold all the cards but begin to think otherwise if enough people appear out of the woodwork.

 So, put up a fence of sorts to protect your plot from dog fouling and other predators (?), that is neat and workmanlike, but don't go spending vast amounts of money. If it is a boundary fence which is quite long, it is quite unreasonable of the council to expect any one tennant to be responsible for it. Find out the facts and negotiate a solution. Always try to negotiate a remedy ... Hard, but persistence works in the end when you have facts and the law on your side.

I almost begin to agree with John and the Council rant, but I won't let them get away with their (sometimes) high-handedness. (Boiling blood and all that :evil: but it's too hot for blood to boil at the moment ...) Oliver, fully endorsed by my humans