Hi Guy's and Girls
Just to clear this up hopefully......... No councils are allowed by law not to allow anyone who has an allotment be it rented or purchased to not have chickens and rabbits even council houses by law they are entitled to have chickens and rabbit's. How ever if your constitution states that hen's are not allowed then that's a different matter but that can be over ruled by the landlord ( Normally the council). Ask your secretary for a copy of the constitution and also a copy of the lease. There has been a amendment in the last couple of years that I know to and that is you can keep up to 50 HENS before you need to contact DEFRA due to the avian flu. But again and this is where you need to be careful is that does a family of three or even 5 need 50 chickens if you can prove that you have the need for consumption of that amount of chickens then that's all well and good. The 1950's allotment act clearly states The following
Abolition of contractual restrictions on keeping hens and rabbits
12 Abolition of contractual restrictions on keeping hens and rabbits
(1)Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in any lease or tenancy or in any covenant, contract or undertaking relating to the use to be made of any land, it shall be lawful for the occupier of any land to keep, otherwise than by way of trade or business, hens or rabbits in any place on the land and to erect or place and maintain such buildings or structures on the land as reasonably necessary for that purpose:
Provided that nothing in this subsection shall authorise any hens or rabbits to be kept in such a place or in such a manner as to be prejudicial to health or a nuisance or affect the operation of any enactment
Now cockerals are a toatly different ball game thay are most definatly frowed upon in rural areas as they are nosey blighters be considerate in the realms of chicken keeping.
Please feel free to contact me on 07948721437 to discuss i looked into this last year in great detail as we went through it at my allotment.
Jim