How to Find an Allotment
With waiting lists at all time high in some areas, it can be frustrating to find an allotment. Here we provide some advice and tips.
Tackling Waiting Lists
Getting an allotment can take time as waiting lists are long, but in the first instance you should contact your local authority - this will be your Parish, Town, Borough, City or District Council. The government website has a search facility for the larger local authority websites click here, many of these will also list contact details for town and parish councils.
Your local authority will be able to provide you with a directory of local sites, from where you’ll be able to add your name to a list for your nearest site. There is no central point of information for allotments in Northern Ireland but some councils do provide them, the National Trust provides them on a number of their properties and there are private allotments -contact them directly for more information.Other allotment sites are provided by private landlords, including organisations like the Church of England. Finding your local allotment society can be as simple as searching for them on the internet or social media. Sending an email or contacting through social media can be a great step towards understanding what is available in your area and who manages the land which they use, if it’s not owned by the local authority. Associations are often very approachable and can offer useful advice.
Write to Your Council
If there appears to be no allotments in your area, you find five like-minded people who would like an allotment and are on the electoral roll or registered council tax payers you can individually and collectively, submit a formal letter to the local council. Send one (you can put all six letters in one envelope) by recorded delivery and one hand delivered, with at least two witnesses present. All local authorities have a mandatory obligation to provide allotment provision under Section 23 of the 1908 Small Holdings and Allotments Act (but be warned there is no time scale attached to this process and unfortunately this process cannot be used in London, as the rule only applies outside of the capital thanks to the London Government Act 1963.)
The Society recommendation is that authorities should supply 20 plots (or .5 hectare) per 1,000 households and the NAS works hard with local government to increase the space offered. If the local authority and established private landlords have nothing to offer, then the next step might have to be a sideways one... look around the local neighbourhood and identify any vacant land which would make a good allotment. Find out who owns the land and ask away, it might just be possible that you can use it for growing on.
Allotment Waiting List FAQs
How long is the waiting list for an allotment?
There is no standard waiting time for an allotment. Waiting lists are managed locally and can vary considerably between councils and individual sites. In some areas plots may become available relatively quickly, while in areas of high demand the wait can be several years.
How many people are waiting for an allotment in the UK?
Previous national research identified around 174,000 people on local authority allotment waiting lists across Britain . Waiting lists change continually as people join lists and plots become available, and demand varies considerably from one area to another.
How do I join an allotment waiting list?
Contact your local council to find out who manages allotments in your area. Some sites are managed directly by councils, while others are run by allotment associations. You can also search online or on social media for local allotment associations and contact them directly.
Can I apply for more than one allotment site?
This depends on the rules in your area. Where permitted, applying to more than one local site may give you more options, as waiting times and availability can vary considerably between sites.
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National Society of Allotment & Leisure Gardeners Ltd
Registered in 1930 under the Industrial & Provident Societies Acts no. 11144R
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Patron His Majesty King Charles III
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