All our plot holders will have waited a long time for the privilege of having an allotment in Hackney. Allotment land in an inner city area is a scarce resource and we are lucky in Hackney to have provision of 118 plots on 9 sites around the Borough. Hackney Allotment Society is an active one. We receive more enquiries for plots than we can possibly fulfill. However the Community and Council can see allotment sites as untidy and under utilised, however much we tell them we have a waiting list of 2½ years.
Tenants also have a duty of care to each other and also to visitors to the allotment site. Allotments must be kept clean and maintained in a good state of cultivation. Paths on allotment sites should be kept clear for access.
Rule 15 of the Society’s by laws says “Each tenant must keep his plot under proper cultivation, also use his best endeavour to protect the fences, his neighbour’s produce, and keep his path in repair.” This is defined as follows:
The Site Rep is responsible for checking on cultivation and maintenance of plots. We realise that people have different skills, levels of knowledge in gardening and ability, this is taken into consideration, but it is easy to see where a plot has been left neglected, uncultivated, part cultivated or indeed is covered with rampant weeds.
Where at all possible site reps will try to contact plot holders to discuss concerns.
The Committee will be informed at the monthly meetings of any concerns and any decision to send a letter is verified by a second Committee member.
A plot holder in receipt of a warning letter has two weeks to respond with their intentions and six weeks to bring the plot back into cultivation. If they fail to respond in two weeks, a Notice to Quit will be issued. This gives the plot holder two weeks to remove their possessions from the site before it is re-let to the next person on the waiting list.
If they respond with the intention of bringing the plot into cultivation yet at the end of six weeks the plot is not being worked and no extenuating circumstances have been reported to Committee, a Notice to Quit will be issued giving the tenant fourteen days to remove their possessions from the site and return the site key to the site representative or Secretary (as amended AGM 05/10/2006).