On Saturday, September 15, 2012 11:45:28 PM UTC+1, Christina Websell wrote:
meow2222 wrote in message
...
Hi people
I'm not sure what to think of this... what would you make of it? An offer
from a private landowner of an allotment, of size whatever I want upto 2.5x
the standard old allotment size, or 5x the new half size plots. No water
supply, price the same per given area as local council plots without water
supply. Lenient terms when it comes to growing small trees and tidying up
the grossly overgrown plot. No shed permitted but lockup tool stores ok.
Access paths already in place. No restriction to just one plot as with the
council. The biggest issues as I see it are that some of the land is steeply
sloping, and I do mean steep, and probably only therefore fit for bushes and
trees, plus the fact that its grossly overgrown, and will need a quantity of
small trees cleared.
Feedback welcome 
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I'd be a bit worried in case he used you to clear the plot and then threw
you off after a year or so.
I have a 3rd of an acre plot which are growing veggies on this year. Lots
of people in the village want a piece of it as there are no allotments.
Half of it is still overgrown, and I expect they would clear it, but whether
or not I would like them and want them as permanent is a moot point, so I
haven't agreed. It has water!
If you can get security of tenure, I would say go ahead, if not, proceed
with care.
I could easily promise a few people an allotment, let them clear the land
and throw them off after a year - I wouldn't do that, but some people might.
I've worked out how to lay water on. Plastic land drain pipe near the low end of the slope, led out to a waterbutt sat atop a soakaway.
The other question is, what length of secure tenure would be needed to make this runnable. Bearing in mind one end is steeply sloped, and will need precautions taking when cleared/planted, so only practical for perennials. The steep slope is probably around 20/25% of total area, the rest being flat. And I do mean steep.
NT