ALLOTMENT holders nationwide are gathering to safeguard their plots in light of increasing worries that allotment land may be sold off.

A recent survey conducted by the National Allotment Society found that 74 per cent of its members are worried that their allotment land will be sold off and redeveloped in the future, and it receives hundreds of calls a year from allotment holders looking for advice on how best to safeguard their plots.

With National Allotments Week looming, local allotment associations up and down the country are hosting ‘Parties on the Plot’ to help galvanise community support for the allotment movement and in turn safeguard sites from the prospect of development.

More than 35 events are planned throughout the week, ranging from barbecues and plant stalls to cream teas and children’s festivals. The week will showcase the wider benefits of allotment gardening to all.

There are an estimated 330,000 allotment plots in the UK and nearly 100,000 people on the allotment waiting lists, according to the society, with rents ranging from £5 to £120 a year.

To find an allotment near you, call your local council or visit your library which should have a list of allotment sites in the area.

To find the right site for you:

  •  Make sure it’s close to home.

You will not want to catch a bus carrying tools or get in a car after a long, hard day at work to get there.

  •  Choose a site which has fences, hedges and locked gates at night to deter vandals.
  • Check water arrangements.
  • Councils should supply mains water at a convenient distance for plot holders. A mains water supply in the form of tanks and standpipes is essential.
  •  Check out the land, examining the plot which is offered to you.
  • Work out if you have plenty of sun or if the plot is going to be in shadow, which isn’t good for a lot of vegetables. Large trees may cast shade and sap the soil of nutrients.
  •  Study the neighbours’ plots. If they are neglected and dominated by tough, perennial weeds, you may be facing a losing battle.
  •  It’s important to feel comfortable there. Some sites have a clubhouse for meetings or a trading shed where you can buy gardening goods at more or less trade prices. Others will have tools or machinery for the use of members.
  •  National Allotments Week runs from Monday to Saturday, August 12. For more information, visit the website at nsalg.org.uk.