Welcome to the SF Allotment and Gardening Group!

[Redbox 10]

Does anyone out there know where to get a supply of bark chippings?

A good mate at the allotments needs some.He's working so hard, it would be good to help.

[Redbox 10]

Does anyone know where we can get bark chippings cheap or free.

or how the council and landscape gardeners get rid of the trees they cut down.

Redbox

[Yellowrose 10]

I would like to just say hi to everyone and explain why I havent been at large lately.

 

Im having problems with one of my children and have been putting all my energy into her getting a diagnosis. Also the younger members of the household have chicken pox so I have been chasing them round with the calamine!

 

Hope to be back with you in a couple of weeks!

[hiphophoney 10]

Id like to hear about peoples experiences of gaining an allotment, how long they waited for it, what sort of state it was in when they took it on, if they have been evicted or anything else related to sheffields allotment policies and procedures.

Sheffield council is reviewing its allotment and green space strategy in the near future and while I hesitate to get involved in anything to do with the council ( I worked for them for many years) I am passionate about maintaining easy access to allotments and resisting them being left to over grow and being redeveloped.

[low_carbon 10]

The Council (Parks and Countryside) is undetaking a review of their policies with regard to many aspects of allotments. One of these is the issuing of notices to improve/quit. There are invites to join the groups in 'Allotment News' that was sent out with invoices for the coming year. If you want to try to improve the system then get involved in these groups and encourage others to do the same. There has been a recent explosion of interest in allotments over the last couplke of years an the Council is trying to respond to meet the demand and work out how to get unused ploys back into play.

 

Sheffield Allotment Federation also meets quarterly with Parks and Countryside representatives to discuss these and other issues. One of the main issues recently has been plots that are uncultivated but rented in sites with waiting lists. It's a long process but at least they're forming working groups.

 

Try to get involved and spread the word.

[edwardc 10]

Id like to hear about peoples experiences of gaining an allotment, how long they waited for it, what sort of state it was in when they took it on, if they have been evicted or anything else related to sheffields allotment policies and procedures.

Sheffield council is reviewing its allotment and green space strategy in the near future and while I hesitate to get involved in anything to do with the council ( I worked for them for many years) I am passionate about maintaining easy access to allotments and resisting them being left to over grow and being redeveloped.

 

I gave up my allotment in the end, it was just an uphill challenge and I never really managed to break the back of it. I had a plot on Rivelin Valley - I got it very quickly (which on reflection was probably a bad sign) but it was really over-grown and full of rubbish. Once I got it cleared and started planting things in, I would find plants dug up and trampled, things stolen, and we had a falling-down shed at the bottom of the plot burnt down.

 

I planted in a thick blackthorn hedge, which I figured would offer a little more security, but it got stolen. That was the last straw, really, it just wasn't worth pouring any more money or effort into.

 

These days I have a thriving vegetable plot in my back garden, growing brassicas, beans, herbs and a wide variety of fruits. I've got absolutely no regrets about giving up the allotment.

 

...

 

I should add, despite giving up the allotment, giving written notice and telephoning to confirm my intention to quit, I still get rent bills every now and then from the council, I've phoned them up and explained the situation and they just blame it on computer errors and tell me to ignore them. It really is a bloody shambles.

[hiphophoney 10]

Unfortunately your experiences are far from unusual. I am planning to collate a file on peoples experiences to take to up and coming review of allotments and green spaces,although this was done in 2002. It would be useful to know which site you were at.

many thanks for your reply

Jo D

[lilqueenie 10]

Just an innocent question - how many people has there got to be on a waiting list before the council buy land to extend allotment provision? Only there are a lot of people in the most popular areas who may wait several years before getting to the top of the list. Surely it would be a prime time to buy land (cheaply) and encourage people to be sustainable, healthy and beat the credit crunch?

[low_carbon 10]

There is now a new site at Oughtibridge and there is one planned at Totley and one at Dore where the waiting lists are very long (timewise). My impression is that they look at the expected time to get a plot at various sites and prioritise. They also probably take into account availability of land and the objections that are likely to be raised by local people near a new site. Oughtibridge had a lot of opposition, well there were a handful of very vocal locals who were oppossed. Not everyone wants allotments near them.

 

I think there is a statutory duty for councils to provide 'sufficient' allotment provision. I don't know how this is determined but I think Sheffield considers itself fine in this regard and I suspect isn't bad in terms of the numbers of plots available per capita, although as to the state of some of them...

[sanman 10]

The site at Oughtibridge was provided by Bradfield Parish Council.

 

The allotment authority for an area has a statutory obligation to provide allotments if an unsatisfied demand exists. The definition of demand is 5 or 6 residents requesting allotments.

[lilqueenie 10]

Thanks guys, that's interesting. I have been on the waiting list for almost 3 years for the Oxley Park site in Stocksbridge. It feels like a long time, but is that a 'long time' in Council terms, I am not sure!

[Ickle Ed 10]

Hello

Only just joined the forum :-)

Just want to ask a question. I have emailed the Council allotment office to get my name on the waiting list for the S10 area allotments. As yet I have not heard a thing. I just want to know how long the waiting list is?

I really enjoy the Good Life and I am finding my little vegetable plot too small.