Forum Topic

Beds in sheds Part 2

Since this topic appears to have disappeared does anyone know what, if anything has been actioned to deal with these BEDS IN SHEDS ????

Marie Anne OConnell ● 5050d7 Comments

Now that Ealing's allotment holders are being charged extortionate rents by Ealing Council a quarterly allotment payment would help many retired plot holders and Ealing Council is remiss in not providing a facility to pay quarterly rather than annually. The relevant law can be found at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo6/14/31 which is titled:“Allotments Act 19501950 CHAPTER 31 14 Geo 6An Act to amend the law relating to allotments and to abolish restrictions on the keeping of hens and rabbits.[26th October 1950]”The relevant bit is Paragraph Ten which reads:“10 Rents to be charged for allotments let by local authorities.(1)Land let by a council under the Allotments Acts, 1908 to 1931, for use as an allotment shall be let at such rent as a tenant may reasonably be expected to pay for the land if let for such use on the terms (other than terms as to rent) on which it is in fact let:Provided that land may be let by a council as aforesaid to a person at a less rent if the council are satisfied that there exist special circumstances affecting that person which render it proper for them to let the land to him at a less rent.(2)Not more than a quarter’s rent for land let by a council as mentioned in subsection (1) of this section shall be required to be paid in advance:Provided that this subsection shall not apply where the yearly rent is twenty-five shillings or less.(3)In this section the references to a council shall be construed as including references to the parish meeting of a rural parish not having a parish council.”

Jon F. Doctor ● 5050d

It has been going on for years. Such "gardeners" have in the not too distant past got allotments in the Ascot Allotments after only a few months compared with the two plus years that ordinary residents have had to wait. This is so-called "local management" of allotments (a.k.a. nepotism) that Ealing Council continues to run: plot holders are forced to pay local "volunteer" plot managers (who issue the receipts) annually and the council ignores the relevant allotment legislation that plot holders should not have to pay for more than three months of their allotment rental at any one time. It is all pretty shambolic and all its takes is a walk around some of Ealing's allotment to realise that the official statement by Ealing Council that all Ealing allotment have waiting lists is plainly not true judging by the state of many of them.Unlike other Boroughs there are no published waiting lists held by the Council or scrutiny of the process of allotment allocation or management; it is all down to a bunch of so-called local "plot managers".

Jon F. Doctor ● 5050d

Re  kip over night if necessary           xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  would that not be contrary to the rules and regulations of the allotments, I certainly would have thought so. THAT is another aspect then that the Council should be robustly and appropriately dealing with. If an allotment is being used outwith the rules, surely it should be taken away, immediately. Or is this another Nelson act by the Council?.

Tony Price ● 5050d

Actually you'll find a number of jobbing gardeners and small builders who live outside Ealing and find it "convenient" to have an allotment and shed in Ealing to store their tools in and "run their business from" and kip over night if necessary as well as having a free parking place and place to "compost" (dump) garden waste at rather than going to the tip denying local Ealing residents the chance to grow their own veggies by having an allotment (which are in short supply -- allegedly).

Jon F. Doctor ● 5050d

Re  Lot of rhetoric But no action....             xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  sadly this is so true, and which is  unbelievable. We are blessed with an Asian Mayor, an Asian MP ( Southall, Norwood Green? and as far into Ealing proper as Northfields) plus loads of Asian Councillors, ALL of whom must know, and probably have been for a long time, so they should be in a special situation as to do something re this blight on our  community and Borough. So is it not reasonable for us to expect some positive action, and soon. I cannot understand why there seems to be such a dragging of feet. Are the areas covered by Stephen Pound and Angie Bray also blighted by these  shanty constructions. The ones on the allotments, are they actually occupied and used by persons for their domicile?

Tony Price ● 5050d

Of course they know but choose to turn a blind eye....check those who make up the council members who should be dealing with this.They need to be reminded of the BBC coverage who should be given the facts that nothing  has been done.Perhaps they will follow up with an update since the airing of the reports.What does it take to bring them to boot .  Lot of rhetoric But no action....

Marie Anne OConnell ● 5050d

Nothing that I can see. Plenty of illegal sheds around in Ealing and you don't need to go onto private land to see them. Just walk down Ranelagh Road in South Ealing onto the council-run Ascot Allotments and see the garage-sized ones all over the place (amazing that they seem to win somethng every year in Ealing in Bloom for best allotments in spite of this). Then go up to the Pitshanger Allotments and view "shed city" spreading as far as the eye can see. Please tell me that the council don't know that they are there!

Jon F. Doctor ● 5050d