Page 39 - ALG Issue 1 2020

Is your allotment plot fit for purpose?
It has already been said that all agreements in England and Wales with the allotment holder have a landlord and tenant relationship and it should be realised by the plotholder that the landlord gives no warranty or undertaking at Common Law that the plot is fit for purpose. This requires a plotholder to take the land as they find it and to satisfy themselves as to its condition.
Different allotment sites present different challenges to plotholders; there could be underlying reasons for them and it may be prudent to discern why the previous tenant failed. The
plot may be covered with brambles, there could be a problem of mare’s
tail or other pernicious weeds. An extreme reason may be a plotholder with a neighbouring house who has dumped old rotting fence timber onto the plot that is now hidden and covered with brambles, then abandoned the plot – leaving the problem for the next plotholder. It may be even more difficult. Whilst the original plotholder will
burn rubbish in his own garden, the house owner will object strongly to
the landlord if the cut down brambles or the rotting fences are burnt on the plot which they had relinquished.
My previous article ‘Quiet Enjoyment’ introduced the concept of good neighbourliness. If this is encouraged by the landlord, many allotment
issues will disappear. In addition,
there needs to be a certain amount of pragmatism and co-operation between the landlord, the plotholder and the neighbours. The plotholder can do much to further this objective by having plans of purpose and of action before taking on the plot. In my view it is no use to cultivate the plot piecemeal, because the rest of the unkempt plot will invariably engulf the cultivated part. This will lead to frustration and despair, and there have been many examples where the plot has been abandoned or taken away from the plotholder in such circumstances.
The concept of quiet enjoyment and the tenant’s covenants in the allotment tenancy agreement allows the plotholder’s imagination and cultural diversity to flourish on the choices they want to make. These plans are more likely to succeed if the plotholder notes the aspect and draws up the plot on
graph paper. Should or will there
be any internal paths? Where should the garden shed and the compost
bin be put? Do they want to grow vegetables, flowers, soft fruit, hybrid fruit, fruit or any combination of any
of them? The choices are the tenant’s alone and it can be exciting. A layout plan with a timeline for planting is likely to be a success in the longer term.
The next step is to clear the plot of brambles, old carpets, weeds and rubbish. Thereafter, it would be a
good policy to dig out all perennial weed roots. To some, it may be considered cheating, but working the plot with a rotovator saves precious time to achieve a fine tilth of soil. It gives the plotholder a blank canvas upon which he can create his allotment masterpiece and to express his own individuality. Plots are as individual as the plotholders themselves.
The landlord can do much to support this enterprise. The boundaries and gates of the allotment site should
be secure to prevent trespassers
and thieves. Also, the access roads and paths should be distinct and clear of weeds. In addition, there should be an easy availability of water supply
to the plot. Good water supply at
the appropriate time can ensure a bountiful harvest of produce; fruit and soft fruit need plenty of water during April when they are flowering. Lastly, there must be facilities and policies for the disposal of pernicious weeds such as mare’s tail and non-compostable garden waste. Furthermore, the growth of self-managed sites offers local knowledge and the communal aspect of the allotment
association can
deal with issues
of security etc, as
well as to have co-
operative initiatives
of bulk delivery
of manure, wood
shavings from a
reliable source and
use of mechanical
tools.
In conclusion, when everything on the plot is in order, it is time to sit back and to relax, perhaps under the shady
To some, it may be considered cheating, but working the plot with a rotovator saves precious time to achieve a fine tilth of soil
leaves of grape vines grown as a canopy to the allotment shed, to have a cup of tea boiled in a kettle from the electricity collected from the solar panel on the allotment garden shed roof. I saw an example of this when there was a Regional London Meeting at Hoxton earlier this month. A plotholder had a solar panel on the shed roof linked to a car battery within the shed and a pure sine inverter to enable an ordinary kettle to boil, and to have lighting and supply for his power tools and tool battery chargers. It is taking allotments as a leisure activity to another level!
Chris Barker LLB FRICS Dip Rating (Chartered Surveyor), Vice Chairman London Region
With thanks to Tony Eden BSc (Est Man) FRICS Dip Rating for his assistance in the production of this article.
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Allotment and Leisure Gardener 39