Council heavy handed on allotment holders

wightspymaster · Joined: 23 Jun 2010 Posts: 10

I've been hearing that the council employ someone to go around allotments on the island taking photos of anything they consider to be unacceptable, the example given was weeds growing on an unused strip, they then write to the allotment holder including copies of the pictures informing them if they don't remedy the situation they could have their allotment entitlement withdraw.

I feel this petty meddling in peoples lives by officials who appear to have nothing better to do would be ridiculous at the best of times but in the current economic climate I cannot see any way that this is a justifiable expense for the council tax payer to bear.
Or perhaps there is more to it than meets the eye as the council might have designs on selling the land for development.
Has anyone else had similar experiences?

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nuttybob · Joined: 29 Apr 2007 Posts: 17 Location: Isle of Wight

I guess it depends on how petty the infractions are.

If the council have got a waiting list of people wanting allotments and there are some people who aren't utilising theirs then it seems fair to warn them that they either use it or lose it.

I do agree that if the council were to do this in order to sell of the land then it would be unacceptable.

wightspymaster · Joined: 23 Jun 2010 Posts: 10

I agree if someone just abandons their plot but here we were talking about a narrow strip left unweeded. The person who relayed it to me said they weren't the only one as others had similar letters, quite obviously there could be factors out of their control for example a bout of illness debilitating you for a while.
I guess there is always going to be a waiting list all the more reason to not lose allotments.
I still think this is totally over the top and a waste of resources, far better to organise an association of allotment holders who would be self governing. After all people don't get them to let them go to rack and ruin any type of gardening is a labour of love and the vast majority will take great pride in it.

New Normal Laugh · Joined: 01 Jun 2010 Posts: 66

Which allotments are you on about as I heard the council are intending to sell the land with the allotments adjacent to Quarry Road in Ryde for development, dont know what truth there is in it but the land must be worth a mint and they claim to be short of cash

Superman · Joined: 25 Jun 2010 Posts: 1

Yes - I get this almost every year, but they seem to be getting more picky. Every year they tell me I have to tidy my allotment, every year I inform them that it IS being cultivated, but organically and with wildlife in mind. I now have a bumble bees nest and a population of slow worms occupying my plot, both of which are protected by law - so I CANNOT tidy my plot up. The regional TV newsroom are very interested in my story if the council proceed to throw me off. This is all considoring that 80% of the plot is currently producing fuit and veg. They even had the cheek to take a picture of my raspberry and goosberry bushes and told the the area wasn't being cultivated!!!

It is obvious to anyone looking that the plot IS being worked, is productive and has not been abandoned. The council are under pressure from their waiting list (many on the list already have allotment plots and want another one!). I may have a good fight on my hands on this one!

I pay my rent, I grow food on it, I feel that I am getting harassed! And I know the neighbouring plot feels the same where they have a small area of nettles to the rear of their plot, up against an adjoining garden fence, where they too have slow worms and they also use the nettels for organic pest control.

wightspymaster · Joined: 23 Jun 2010 Posts: 10

@New Normal Laugh, yes it was the Quarry Road allotments the person was telling me about.

@Superman, do you have any pictures you can post onto the forum?
Either your own ones or the ones the council have sent you?

Photos of your allotment that is not your snaps of your holiday in Marbella Embarassed