"Christina Websell" wrote in message
...
Down in the village, a mile and a half away. It's 1640 sq yards and I
used to keep milk goats on it until they passed away of old age.
My local council want me to lease it to them for allotments, but I'm not
keen as they want a 10 year minimum lease and I had plans for growing
stuff on it myself when I retire (which will be during that 10 year
period.) I just don't have time atm with working and having 1/4 acre here
that is getting away from me.
I had this brilliant idea. Or is it? There is such a demand for
allotments here that the council cannot fulfil, that I could mark it out
in plots and let it on a crop sharing basis. It has a water tap and is
well fenced with 6 ft high gate with a key lock, not a padlock.
Thus getting veggies for myself with no effort!
Has anyone ever done this or know anyone who has?
What does the team think?

Tina
P.S. Nothing chemical has been put on this land since I bought it 25+
years ago, so it would be totally organic.

There is the 'landshare' initiative where people with land allow people who
do not have allotments to use the spare land for growing stuff.

This does not generate revenue but it does keep the land in production and
should allow you to set your own time limit on the use.

Any commercial arrangement is likely to cause you hassle - probably out of
proportion to the monetary (real money or 'goods to the value of'') return.

Even if you put an 'organic only' clause in an agreement, how are you going
to enforce it? How will you detect the use of chemicals? What penalties do
you think you can apply? Do you have the free time to pursue such issues?

If you have a definite date when you need the land back then tell the
council very firmly that this is what you want. They can then decide if the
demand for allotments justifies a shorter lease.

Cheers

Dave R