site inspection

We have a site inspection on June 2nd, it sounds very official , lots of rules & regulations "cultivation, structures & health & safety issues".  They've even sent us all another copy of the tenancy agreement, guess they're worried the last one was shredded & put on the compost heap.  Hum do we need to be worried? 

They'll probably be looking for:

• how much cultivation as opposed to inactivity / weeds there is going on (taking into account the state of the plot when first let, and how long ago that was)
• if you have structures, that you have sought permission for them (if required to do so) and they are according to that permission
• that there are no risks to others from your gardening, e.g. ponds are away from public paths, no barbed wire, children can't fall into water butts

Just look at these sort of things in the tenancy agreement, assess whether you think there's likely to be any problems, and take action before the start of June.  If you're gardening well, and there's no real hazards on the plot, can't see you'd have anything to worry about.

Our plotholders don't get any notice of my ad hoc site inspection wanders!

I'd have thought it unlikely - it just sounds as though that particular site's regime is to have plot inspections at given intervals or on given days, and if you're not up to scratch on that date then you take the consequences.  The tenancy rules will have been re-issued so that nobody can say they didn't know what was expected of them.

In any event, on a council site at least, even if they were planning new tenancy clauses or rules, I'd be surprised if a site inspection was part of it - there'd simply be at least a year's notice.

We get two site inspections a year here.

One is at the start of the season around March or April (yes we are a bit late this far north for the growing season) to check whether people have done anything over the winter in the way of preparation for using their plots. As this is the time of year when rents are collected it gives a clue as to which plots may well soon be vacant!

A second visitation takes place around the August - September mark to see that people have actually made use of their plots.  This gives a second chance to see that all the plots are being used or whether some of them need new tenants.

The two seem to sort out a lot of wrinkles in the system as when people turn up moaning and groaning in the gardeners association shed on a Saturday morning, them in charge have some idea of what is going on out in the "real world".

In some ways an inspection is not a bad idea because there are a few plots which are just going to waste (one seems to be just laid to lawn which I really don't get) & few with a lot of weeds that could do with being checked & given that allotments are as rare as hen's teeth around here it isn't fair to people on the waiting list.

I just read in the tenancy agreement that we're not allowed to cut down or prune trees - oops! That slipped my notice before I did exactly that.  I cut down an ailing plum tree that had been planted right on the boundary only about 2 feet either side from an apple & a pear, all 3 trees were suffering as a result.  Plus on the other side of the boundary literally about 6 inches away, there was neglected attempt at an espaliered fruit tree which next door also cut down.  Why do people plant trees without allowing sufficient space for them to grow?  I also pruned a laurel that was on the boundary fence to within an inch of it's life, it was easily 15 foot tall & at least 6 feet in diameter.  Again, why would you put it on an allotment?  The council cut down 4 Leylandii conifers for me but didn't get the stumps out which is a pain.  And again - why would you plant them on an allotment?  Well, why would you plant them anywhere?  soapbox moment  )I'm rather hoping that they notice someone has planted a Eucalyptus, it doesn't affect me directly but it's going to be a monster when it's full grown.  I suppose that this kind of thing is why they should do regualr inspections.