[John]

The actions of councils over allotments is generally sensible and supportive but sadly not always. A council banning wooden compost bins on allotments to combat rats. Not the best idea!

Read more here

[jaydig]

Most people who work for the councils and who are in charge of allotments have never put a spade in the ground in their lives.  If they knew anything about allotments and rats they would know that the two always go together and if there is a compost heap, minus a bin of any kind, you can guarantee that the rats will be living in it.  Likewise a wooden pallet contained compost heap and the not so eco-friendly plastic 'dalek'.  The rats in mine used to regularly pop their heads up when they heard me coming, but they were never a problem to me as they pretty well kept themselves to themselves.  When I wanted to turn the compost I just banged on the wooden frame with my spade to make them go away for a bit.

[Growster...]

Rats are always close by, and they normally live under our shed, but the compost bin is several yards away, and is loved by mice!

A chum on the allotments discovered a fox living in his compost bin, which admittedly was a bit of a shambles, but Mr Reynard wasn't too picky about that particular abode!