Can anyone help??? We would really like an allotment on this site. We went ot have a look and there seemed to be loads that had been left - many it seems have almost gone back to woodland. However, when we spoke to the Allotments Officer we were told that whilst there are several available the one we had identified (very overgrown and derilict but not as bad as others) was taken and the tenant was still paying rent!! We find this very hard to believe as others we have spoken to down there say it hasn't been tended for years (at least six). Can anyone please cast any light on this. We really want this allotment!!

I know the allotments, there are also many opposite Clough Fields that need tending plus some at the top end of Clough Fields.

Perhaps you could contact the local council to see if they can help.

I do not have an allotment but pass them daily with my dogs and it would be nice to see some of them tendered.

We have a similar problem with the allotments at Harris Road in Hillsborough. There is a waiting list for them even though most are completely overgrown and don't look like anything's been grown on them for years!

Thanks for posting. The problem is that we have contacted the council and the allotments officer says that the one we have our eye on is taken along with several others that have clearly not been worked on for years. He has offered us others down there but seriously it would take a team of lumber jacks to sort them out! At least we have some hope with this one. We asked him if he could contact the tenant (who hasn't been seen by other for a number of years) to ask if he still wanted it and he said he could be wouldn't!! Sheffield City Council are supposed to have a policy of encouraging people to get allotments!! Mmmm. Anyone else out there that knows anything???

the service is stupidly understaffed, with one officer and one admin support for hundereds of allotment plots around the city.
the allotments officer is old school council and trust me you won't get anywhere! in fact the best piece of advice he gave me was never to buy a house near an allotment.
as with any council service... if you're not happy, keep going above ultimately until u reach a councillor.

All a bit strange - some friends of mine took over a slightly overgrown allottment on Brincliffe Edge and pretty soon got a letter telling them to get it into shape or lose it. Maybe a different bit of the Council?

This is what I dont understand. We have been sent a list of available allotments - almost all of which have gone back to woodland. Some of the ones marked as taken are in a very bad state but no-one seems to be doing anything about it. We can't believe that someone would continue paying rent on a plot they haven't tended for years and we don't want one that requires felling trees.

Don't even get me started about that man, or to be more precise, his secretary (I think you're privileged, we've never actually been allowed to speak to him in person...)
We took on a plot up at Hinde House a couple of months ago, for which the description jungle would be conservative - throw in a few bits of car and seriously, an old mattress, and you've got the picture. We went up to have a look and a man came out of one of the houses backing on the site to check that we weren't the kids who, apparently, torch/ wreck any plot that's tended, on a fairly regular basis. What he did tell us though is that there is a nice man employed by the council (er, Bob I think he's called) to maintain the sites and CLEAR PLOTS FOR YOU when they're a total unmanageable state. Needless to say when you ring the allotments office, they deny that he exists until you say you know his name and then they'll grudgingly give you his phone number. Trouble is, he's only on a short contract now so he might not be able to fit any more work in but anything's a help really.
Oh and I've also heard that the plots up at Firth Park have been done up and are really nice, with fences and a water supply which works. Many of these are 'empty' as well, but like people have said, the council swear the place is full. It makes my blood boil etc etc etc...:^)

Have been told that whoever takes the payments in the council doesn't pass on the information on who's paid etc to the allotments officer nor do they chase up bad payers. Does anyone know if this is true? the result is that people are still down as tenant even if they don't pay anymore it seems and there ends up being loads of untended allotments which very quickly become very difficult to get back into shape. Think Bob would be working forever to sort the ones at Hagg House.

I know those allotments. It's a real shame they have been allowed to get so over grown. Who in their right mind would take one? The council should either allow them to go completely to woodland or gt them cleared to encourage more people to take them. there are waitng lists elsewhere.

An update...it would seem that there's a nice new lass working in the allotments office and there's been a sea-change in the way things are running! She's helpful, clued up etc...Upshot is that fab Bob cleared out our existing jungle, then told us that the plot next but one was free and in better condition. We jumped at the chance (the one he'd cleared unfortunately had a large tree shading the middle chunk of it) and bless him, he strimmed the new one, found us the key for the lock on the door and dropped off an old bin for a water butt.
We had our first courgette from the plot last week. Even the water supply is up and running again. And everyone lived happily ever after etc :^)