[jobson336]

hi all,

just as i thought my problem i had a while ago with the council and a single person complaining about noise was gone it has reared its head again  - but from within the walls themselves!

to cut a long story short, a neighbour who lives alonside the private allotments im on complained to the council about cockerel noise. They came out and tested and sent letters to all plot holders with cockerels threatening a £5000 fine if we didnt remove the lads. I was in a far field and argued my case saying that mine could not be causing the problem, that i was happy to reduce numbers but would not remove all my cockerels.
the 3 people in the near field removed theirs and the council were happy and said that they would not retest for noise. Horay i thought! 
Unfortunetly the self elected chairman (who i have diagnosed with 'littleman syndrome') has taken it upon himself to rally the self elected 'govening body of the committee' his idea to run the allotments (even though they were fine without a committee) of which none keep poultry. He has now told me that he and the committee have decided that there will be no cockerels on site. My argument to him was Why? Why if the council are happy that the noise is with in the limit? His reply, the committee can decide on what rules it puts in place? 

Does anyone know of a way around this, i will argue my corner probably without success but it would be nice to fire something at him, is there any law, by law, legality anyone can think of that i can contest it so i dont have to bow down to this little dictator!! 
i really dont want to loose my plots and if i had to then i suppose i could manage without my boys, but i breed from them and it wont be the same. 

advice anyone please. 

[GrannieAnnie]

Sorry Scott, don't know anything about allotments and their rules, but keeping fingers crossed for you!

[Casey76]

I've never had an allotment so I don't know how it works.  However I would start by asking to see where in the "house rules" does it say that you can't have cockerels.  If they insist, perhaps you could ask for a vote from all plot holders (though you may not get the answer you want if the majority votes against)

How about a shake up of the committee?  Ask for the committee to be voted in; do you have an AGM?  If not, I would suggest you suggest that you start having regular site meetings, where concerns like this can be raised

[joyfull]

legally I don't think you have a leg to stand on - hens and rabbits are allowed on allotments for food but not cockerels.
However you could try asking them who elected them to the comittee and ask for an official comittee meeting where everybody gets to vote as to who gets elected (and just hope that you end up with a few friendly folks on there).

oops just seen Casey has said the same things 

[Dominic]

As others have said, if a group of plot holders are wandering around calling themselves The Comittee, ask when they were elected and why you were denied the chance to vote.

Just make sure it wasnt last month and you couldnt be bothered turning up to the meeting.

However, although they cannot legaly stop you keeping hens, you have no legal right to keep cockerals and the elected comittee should enforce the same rules on everyone, and since not everyone can have cockerals, dont expect to keep yours much longer...

[jobson336]

 the allotments have been going for 2 years now and they are on private land, the land owner (who agrees with me but doesnt want to get involved) handed over the land to made into plots.
originally there were just 6 of us in a field but in the last year it expanded into another 3 fields and there are around 100 plots.
everyone was getting on fine minding their own business and then a neighbour complained to the council about the allotments (not the cockerels - the allotments!) saying she liked looking over fields not plots.
the council tried and failed to convince the land owner he needed planning (which he didnt) so one plot holder decided to ask us to join the allotment society to apply for grants, paths, drainage etc and suggested to the plot holders that as it was starting up he was happy to act as chairman (he just so happens to work for the council) from then on he formed a committee, and i have just received my new tennacy which consits of 3 pages of rules and regulations. One of which states no cockerels! No discussion.
it must be coming up to a year since we joined so am going to suggest an AGM and i have put some ideas in writing to look for a compromise regarding the cockerels.
i would prefer a vote amoungst plot holders, if it goes against cockerels then so be it, atlesast its fair.
ive bored you enough. thanks for in put  

[PaulineM]

As a compromise could you not agree to 'no new cockerals'
Therefore letting you keep the one you already have but not replacing him when his time comes.
Keep us informed how things turn out
Good Luck

[dilsdaisy]

Maybe the fact that when you originally signed up for your allotment it was on the basis that cockerels were allowed ( or at least that there were no restrictions) so you have gone ahead and set up and settled with your boys and girls ... therefore they cannot just introduce a 'new' rule without going thru a consultation process/vote and sufficient notice given that a change will be taking place...for you to move and reset up an allotment at this time of year after all your outlay financially and physically on the one you have may require some compensation??

If the neighbours aren't complaining (and they are the ones sleeping near there!!) then what is their problem??? definately little man syndrome ..fancy getting an allotment then not liking the sounds of a cockerel its supposed to be a bit of the countryside

Good Luck ...!!

[Aunt Sally]

There is no right in law for anyone to keep a cockerel on an allotment whoever the allotment authority is; be they council or private landlord or wherever the siting of the allotment is to residential property.

In my opinion you and all of the other allotment holders on your site should insist on forming an association with a constitution and elect a management committee.  The entire allotment community will then be responsible for how the plots are run and what is allowed to be grown or erected be it trees, animals, sheds, poultry runs, greenhouses, poly tunnels, path work etc. 

All the time there is no democratic process aggravation and bad feeling will be generated.

[Dominic]

one plot holder decided to ask us to join the allotment society to apply for grants, paths, drainage etc and suggested to the plot holders that as it was starting up he was happy to act as chairman (he just so happens to work for the council) from then on he formed a committee, and i have just received my new tennacy which consits of 3 pages of rules and regulations. One of which states no cockerels! No discussion.
it must be coming up to a year since we joined so am going to suggest an AGM and i have put some ideas in writing to look for a compromise regarding the cockerels.
i would prefer a vote amoungst plot holders, if it goes against cockerels then so be it, atlesast its fair.
ive bored you enough. thanks for in put  

Ah yes, I would advise you top expect trouble, I would wager he's a politicaly motivated coubncil employee, and is operating on instruction.
Demand a proper AGM to establish a constituion mandating a line by line vote on the rules and regulations.
Otherwise kiss your site good bye.  In another year it will have a 20,000 page rule book and the adjudication by the comittee will be whatever they feel like saying that day.

[Aunt Sally]

Yo can get some advice from the NSALG about how to set up allotment associations and about tenancy agreements.  I can send you copies of ours if you want a good starting point.

[katey]

This sounds most unfair especially as you are one of the senior,original plot holders.It sounds like time to rally your troops to demand a democracy on your allotments.
Good luck!

[themagicaltoad1]

It seems a bit unfair on those allotment holders who had to get rid of their cockerals that you can keep yours. I know I would feel a bit disgruntled about the inequality of it if I were one of them.

[jobson336]

thanks guys for all the advice, the ones that were in the first field left and moved to somewhere else about 10 miles away but im already established there and it was too far for me to travel every day to see to the chooks.
ive put my requests in writing and will await a response, i will definitly be fighting my corner, there were hens and cockerels on there before the allotments so i dont see why it should change now.
he is yet to come up with a reasonable answer as to why they have to go, other than the committee has decided!
will keep you all posted. 

[GrannieAnnie]

Good Luck Scott!