This is information for all allotment tenants/associations/societies in Sheffield.
Roe Wood committee today met with local councillors and Council officials responsible for the upkeep and running of all allotments in Sheffield. We wanted to try to get some assistance with removal of rubbish/pathway maintenance etc on our site. The predicable reply from them was of course that although they were very sympathetic to our problems, the bottom line was that they just did not have enough funding to be able to keep all allotment sites in as good condition as they would like. They took on board that the problems we have are common to most if not all allotment sites in the city. Of course if they could get more funding then they would be more than happy to spend it on improvements for everyone. Apparently we are the poor relations when it comes to handing out money from the city finances.
As a committee, therefore, we are suggesting (in fact hoping) that all allotment tenants who are interested in getting these improvements (all of us, we would think) should lobby their local councillors to ask them to do whatever they can to ensure that additional funding is made available for this section of the community. We feel that, particularly at present when allotment gardening is becoming more popular again, we do deserve a better deal than the one we are currently getting. We did suggest to them that they should look at this Forum site to see some of the concerns being expressed by allotment tenants - they did not apparently know of the site!!
PLEASE ring, write, e-mail your councillors just to let them know that we are out here (approx 2,000/3,000 of us) and we can all go along on Election Day to put our little crosses in the boxes!
Milmar

Can't you look at raising funding yourselves?At Infield Lane,as a private site,we have to do everything ourselves,fundraising,manual tasks including clearing derelict plots,letting plots,rent collection etc.In 7 years,we have reduced the number of derelict plots from 70 to 40,and have raised £19,000 in grants.

I think those sites that are self managed can raise funds but that is a very small percentage of the allotments in Sheffield.

Milmar I think your idea of campaigning the local councillors is excellent and somethings I will certainly be doing.

Hi I am the secretary of Roe Wood Allot and if all plot holders could lobby there councillors that if they don't do some thing 3,000 plot holders might not vote for them in the elections. Because we are not a private site some funders will not fund us they say it is a council obligation.

Good for you at Roe Woods.
At the Allotment Federation we have been advising people to go to the area panel meetings, which are Chaired by your local Councillors, and nag at them, the more people who raise the issue the higher profile we will have.
As the Councils new 'slogan' is "Cleaner, greener, safer" green issues should be given a higher priority and more funding!

As Beety has already said a lot of funders turn down applications from Allotment Societies on Council owned sites as there usual answer is 'It belongs to the Council and therfore has statutory funding'.

As a new allotmenteer, I agree with Milmar that the condition of the council run allotments is appalling. I have a plot at Sharrard Road Intake and some of the plots on this site have not been worked for years yet, there is a two year waiting list. I have asked the Allotments Dept. for help in removing rubbish from the plot along with other new plot owners and have been told it is our repsonsibility as it is general allotment rubbish - an ELECTRIC brass table lamp!!!!!!

I am in communication with Councillor Denise Fox who is trying to help in this matter and hope to have a meeting with Councillor Fox and John Martin of the Allotments Dept. within the next few days.:mad:

As a new allotmenteer, I agree with Milmar that the condition of the council run allotments is appalling. I have a plot at Sharrard Road Intake and some of the plots on this site have not been worked for years yet, there is a two year waiting list. I have asked the Allotments Dept. for help in removing rubbish from the plot along with other new plot owners and have been told it is our repsonsibility as it is general allotment rubbish - an ELECTRIC brass table lamp!!!!!!

I am in communication with Councillor Denise Fox who is trying to help in this matter and hope to have a meeting with Councillor Fox and John Martin of the Allotments Dept. within the next few days.:mad:

just a suggestion you might also like to e-mail Mary Bagley, she is the head of Parks Woodlands and Countryside which covers the allotment office, she likes to know about what is going off and what can be done to improve the service.

3,000 votes - that is 3,000 people is not to be sniffed at in this day and age of increasingly low election turnouts especially for marginal wards.

Was doing some research on something else and came across this website Welcome to the Allotments Regeneration Initiative at www.farmgarden.org.uk/ari and wonder whether it's any good to you.