How to get land for gardening

The loophole is that the law, as I understand it, is that it does not tell them that they have to do it right now

So they can say they are considering it   ad infinitum

Our parish copuncil opened 2 new sites over the last two years, some of the plots have never been worked and are being offered on landshare by the tennents as unprepared allotments for a share of the produce.
None of them are full size plots, ours will suppliment our diet but we will still have to buy veg.
I don't think that's right,  if you have never worked it you probably never will so why keep it? Or am I just being mean spirited?
 

The loophole is that the law, as I understand it, is that it does not tell them that they have to do it right now

So they can say they are considering it   ad infinitum

How sad.

Someone should start a campaign to shame them!! I have just been listening to the economic doom and gloom on the news. Everyone is going to have to tighten their belts and as we all know growing your own is a good place to start as well as eco friendly.
I am a closet revolutionary but a bit on the "mature" side 

Part of the economic doom and gloom includes £millions shaved off council budgets so less money to spend buying land and then administering / maintaining it.  Unless your council can find a local landowner willing to lease out land on a long-term basis, or a church / parish council ditto, then the chances of new land being actually acquired by a council are increasingly slim.

I accept that it would not be viable for councils to buy up land, but in my case, the council has several plots of unused land next to public woodland that would be ideal. It does nothing year after year apart from COST the council money cutting back the growth etc.
I am sure theres plenty of council owned land up and down the country currently doing nothing and could be utilised. They might even make money out of it by charging small rents like most allotments do

I accept that it would not be viable for councils to buy up land, but in my case, the council has several plots of unused land next to public woodland that would be ideal. It does nothing year after year apart from COST the council money cutting back the growth etc.

Fair enough.  If you haven't already done so, then, I'd be writing to my local council with 5 other registered electors under the Allotments Acts and asking them to provide new allotments - with suggestions of these areas of land.

I am sure theres plenty of council owned land up and down the country currently doing nothing and could be utilised. They might even make money out of it by charging small rents like most allotments do

They're not money making schemes though I should think.  People want water, fencing, security, skips.  If there are rats they want them dealing with.  There needs to be a council employee to administer the allotments / rent / warning letters / disputes between tenants.  Or to liaise with / monitor etc any self-administration of the site by the tenants.

Not saying it's not possible, just that it's not necessarily as straightforward as it might seem.

I am sure theres plenty of council owned land up and down the country currently doing nothing and could be utilised. They might even make money out of it by charging small rents like most allotments do

But unless it's already used, or has been used, for agricultural purposes, it would probably need planning permission for change of use.