Start an allotmentHow to get an allotment

Contact your council to see if there's an allotment site near you

In most parts of the country there should be an allotment site within easy reach of your home. If you don’t know where your nearest allotment site is, you can:

• contact your local council, or parish council in rural areas
• search on London Allotments website if you live in London
• study a local map – blank areas, particularly along canals or railway lines, are often home to allotments
• have a look at Google Earth – allotment sites are usually obvious in an aerial view as a patchwork of plots and paths.

Getting your allotment

In many parts of the country allotments are so popular that you may have to go on a waiting list. Although this is frustrating, it means you should eventually take over a recently worked plot on a well-cared-for site. Find out how long you’ll have to wait.

A standard plot is about 250 sq m, though some sites offer half or smaller plots, especially if demand is high. Expect to pay around £30 a year for a full plot.

No allotments in your area?

If there are no vacant plots in your local council area, try neighbouring councils or privately run sites. Or if there are no allotments in your area, you can petition the council. 

They are obliged, if six local people request it, to look into buying or renting land and turning it into allotments. This may be easier in rural areas, where farm land can be rented for next to nothing. It’s worth trying even in urban areas because councils are keen to show their green credentials these days.

The National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners (NSALG) reckons that the national average is one allotment for every 60 households, so if your council has less than this, it should help your case.

There’s nothing to stop groups of gardeners forming an association, renting land from a local landowner and sub-letting it as allotments. If you join the NSALG, they’ll advise on how to set up such a site.

What to look for

A standard plot is about 250 sq m, and will cost around £30 per year

If you’re lucky enough to be offered a vacant plot, ask the site secretary or council allotment officer about the following:

Access and parking

Even if you’re within walking distance of the allotment, you’ll need to drop off heavy or bulky things.

Local sources of manure

Some sites arrange for deliveries or have designated spots for manure, composted green waste etc.

Location of taps and rules about watering

Many sites don’t allow hosepipes except to fill a tank or water butt on your plot. The distance between tap and plot becomes a critical factor in a summer heatwave!

Rules about sheds/greenhouses

Some allotment sites allow individual buildings, but may impose size limits; others provide a communal shed for tools; you may or may not be able to put up a greenhouse or polytunnel.

Horticultural supplies

Some sites operate a handy shop for horticultural supplies or arrange bulk orders of seed.

Communal lawnmowers

You’ll be expected to keep the paths round your plot neat and tidy, and there are sites that organise working parties for communal areas. Some sites provide communal lawnmowers, otherwise you’ll have to bring one, or a trimmer, yourself.

Previous tenants

If you have a choice of plots, one that’s been worked recently will save a lot of back-breaking work initially. Find out as much as you can about the previous tenant – did they use chemicals, keep pernicious weeds under control, grow particular crops such as potatoes to excess? You may inherit soft fruit bushes as a bonus.

Security

Ask neighbouring plotholders about things like theft and vandalism, and flooding; also about major pests – rabbits, deer and pigeons can cause havoc if you’re unprepared. Talking to them will help you learn about local soil and weather conditions and which crops grow well.