[susie]

Can anyone help........our local council have been offered £18 million, yes £18 million for our allotment site for housing.
Has anybody got any suggestions or ways of fending off the sale.
We have got a meeting on Wednesday, so any suggestions would be really useful.

[compostqueen]

ours is worth more than yours     £19 m ours is valued at. That's according to the council

We're in the same boat so I'll send you some information.  You'll need a fighting force and a good book called The Allotment Handbook - A guide to promoting and protecting your site by Sophie Andrews.  You can get a copy from the internet and they're not dear

We have a small core of people, representing the plotters, to fight the sell off at every stage. It's tough though and not for the faint hearted    We have suffered a quite serious setback but we have to keep up momentum.  Our council has suddenly announced that our lotties are non-statutory - just to make them easier to get rid of.

[susie]

I'll have to get a copy, sounds just what we want.
Looks like we are just starting on a long road.
Good Luck with yours.

[Welsh Girls Allotment]

I would second the book, its full of fascinating tip and practical advice, also get the local press onside maybe try local tv news, write to the papers anything - just make yourself heard

[Beejay]

Join the National Society of Allotment L? Growers. They might be able to help you!

[Hampshire Hog]

Hi check out local nature groups and see if there are any rare birds/frogs/bats etc lurking on your plots. (special scientific interest) This seems to be something that stops things dead. One other thought are your plots possibly on top of a roman villa or celtic sttlement - shouldn't build on that either. A more wacky idea I heard of was of a woman who has put in a planning application for the home of the managing director of Tescos as her house was being proposed as the site of a new store.  

Good luck with whatever you try!  

Cheers HH

[matron]

Possibly get your local MP involved. They like to keep the voters on their side if poss.
Good luck with your fight.  

[Bombers]

Echo all comments above. Also just pulled this from the NSALG website, and may be you first question on Wednesday:

Q3) My local authority wants to dispose of allotment land, what can I do ?

It depends if the allotment is statutory or temporary. Find out through your council if the land is statutory (land provided for the sole purpose of being used as allotment land).

If an allotment authority wishes to sell a statutory allotment site it must have the consent of the Secretary of State for Communities & Local Government who will first want to be satisfied of certain conditions.

Further information can be found on the Department of Communities & Local Government's website.
Good Luck. Sounds like this is a growing Problem? (Yehh. sorry no pun intended)

[pol and mick]

Can anyone help........our local council have been offered £18 million, yes £18 million for our allotment site for housing.
Has anybody got any suggestions or ways of fending off the sale.
We have got a meeting on Wednesday, so any suggestions would be really useful.[/quote

Have a look at this site.They offer advice on what to do in situations like this.http://www.allotmentssouthwest.org.uk/generaladviceandinfo.htm
Also i beleive that by law your local council have to provide allotments if more than 5 people request in your area make a request.