[elle.scanlon]

Hello, I have recently managed to get myself a small allotment plot. After talking to others it seems as if it used to be a dump, so they soil may contain heavy metals etc.  It is also near a stream, and so may be vulnerable to flooding.

Because of this I will have to make raised beds and bring soil in from else where.

Any help and advice about where to start would be really useful and much appreciated,
Thanks!

[Trillium]

A good start would be to talk to other members to find out just how high the flooding happens and for how long before you put in the effort. It's amazing what you'll learn from people who have been there a while.
And if it was actually a previous dumpsite, who will pay for soil testing to determine the extent of pollutants? Perhaps it's time to talk to the committee.

As for making the raised beds, with possible soil pollutants (can't believe the land is actually let out to grow food on!) you'll want to keep the beds as high as possible, about 2 feet, preferably higher so that tap roots won't pull too much from existing spoiled soil.
Don't use pressure treated wood nor creosoted wood. Better to simply use something like skid wood, often for free, which you can replace from time to time.