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Message 1.Â
Posted by crouchee (U13371975) on Tuesday, 14th December 2010
I have to quit my half acre field, owing to my favourite farmer's land agent taking a dim view of him lending me a bit of land he has never and can never use. Ruddy local county council politics!
He will return my thriving allotment and cutting garden to grass in the spring.
In the meantime, I have to get rid of / sell thirty David Austin roses, a dozen buddlieas, at least 100 Early Wight and Early Purple garlic and quite a few perennials.
Any members near Somerset fancying a few plants from Donyatt this weekend, let me know.
Darned shame. I spent the morning raiding a local bulb merchant of his last tulip bulbs, about a thousand of which are in the boot of the car. I was going to plant them tomorrow. Now feeling miserable. Some can go to my Mum's, but as of now, I will have only a tiny garden and no veggies to speak of next year. -
Message 2
Posted by DiggerSean (U14704361) on Tuesday, 14th December 2010
So sorry to hear your plight crouchee. Is there no way you can talk this through to resolve this? You must be absolutely gutted, I know I would be!
Surely you must have some rights, it seems so wrong to be able to just "evict" you like this, especially as the land will be put to grass.
Anyway good luck with whatever happens. -
Message 3
Posted by Trillium (U2170869) on Tuesday, 14th December 2010
That's a real shame - all that hard work and next year's potential too. I shall try my newly found twitterati....
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Message 4
Posted by punpun (U14553477) on Tuesday, 14th December 2010
Hi, crouchee,
Sorry to read your problem,
I had the same thing happen when i had my allotment in liverpool, the powers tobe decided to build houses on the land and we got 6 months notice but rates for a year (as they didnt do 6 monthly rates only 12 monthly ones and the notice paper came with the receipt from the last payment.
We (well those who turned up) did have a BBQ on the allotments and we said our " we'll keep in touch's" but never really did and most of the members have now died.
But if you fancy having your own large piece of land ???
" FRANCE"
is the place to buy, (well in this dept anyway as land for gardening is cheap here) thats how come i bought my own allotment.
So come on cheer up and i hope you have better luck next year. -
Message 5
Posted by Trillium (U2170869) on Wednesday, 15th December 2010
Hi Kathy,
How about trying Landshare? Might be something close by...
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Message 6
Posted by Palaisglide (U3102587) on Wednesday, 15th December 2010
Crouchee,
I think you have fallen foul of the "change of use of land laws" the land agent will know that there are time rules for certain uses and mad as it seems he must abide by them if they do not want complications if ever they sell.
We saw such a battle here two years ago where although everyone agreed it looked much better now it had to go back to what it had been.
When it comes to land laws you cannot win
If you have allotments near by there could be an older person willing to share, it happens near me as some now cannot manage the full plot.
Frank. -
Message 7
Posted by whatalottie (U9072847) on Wednesday, 15th December 2010
Oh crouchee, how sad, I really feel for you.
It's many years since I was there, (we ran excavations of the potteries), but as I remember it's only a little place, and mostly farmland. I'd have thought the only land available would be a neighbour who has a garden he would share. Unless you could get to Illminster of course,
You mist be feeling miserable, and frustrated.
Unfortunately there is no way I can get to you next weekend as I live in Northampton, otherwise I'd be there just to give moral support.
Lottie, (Helen) -
Message 8
Posted by crouchee (U13371975) on Wednesday, 15th December 2010
Thanks everyone for all your kind support. Indeed it is a land use issue, and the farmer does not want to jeopardise his tenancy, as the County Council would dearly love an excuse to evict tenants and sell another farm to pay a morsel into their budget deficits.
Never mind, friends and neighbours are rallying round, and I think I will be able to rehome everything. I have been offered a piece of a field about a mile away which I should be able to rough dig and get some spuds planted this spring.
Two local smallholders (who own their land) have offered me sharecropping facilities and my plant wholesaler has found two customers for my roses, so all is not lost. Crouchee will live to garden another day!
I will just have concentrate on crops that need little attention between planting and harvest, garlic, artichokes, strawberries and so on. My cutting garden will have to be for home use only. Grumpy, but looking on the bright side. -
Message 9
Posted by poshHebeJeebie (U9319867) on Wednesday, 15th December 2010
Oh, Crouchee, I feel for you! But it seems that all is not lost - it seems so much more positive now than it did from your original post.
I know that Somerset County Council is under extreme financial pressure, and are looking to sell their farmland (to the detriment of their tenant farmers). I'm in West Somerset (near Minehead) so understand some of the politics involved!
Keep gardening! Keep smiling! Keep positive - I'm sure it will work out in the end.
PHJ
PS The weather is looking a bit grim for us by the weekend. I hope you've got your thermals ready - we were lucky the last time around, but it's set to to be blooming cold/snowy/icy by Saturday. -
Message 10
Posted by zoomer44 (U14019069) on Wednesday, 15th December 2010
Crouchee, your situation does sound alot better now, hope things work out for the best.
I know nothing of land laws and I may have read this wrong, I'm sure someone will correct me if am, but it was in the local papers. There was a situation where I live and a land owner wanted to sell a field to a well known supermarket so they could relocate practically a 100 yds down the road in a newer bigger store. Being green belt land the locals were up in arms. There was a guy squating in a caravan in the field and had been there for years because of the length of time this guy had been there he couldn't be evicted, he got to stay doing his own thing and the land owner can't sell the field. I've driven past the field numerous times and for the life of me don't know were the caravan is, it must be well hidden but there is a cluster of trees in one corner.
Could be you've been asked to leave because of the length of time you've been there. -
Message 11
Posted by Obelixx (U2157162) on Thursday, 16th December 2010
Hello Crouchee. What a dreadful thing to happen to a keen and talented gardener. I do hope you find good homes for your plants and also a new home for your veggies and cuttings garden. It's good to see people rallying round to help so I hope you soon cheer up.
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Message 12
Posted by crouchee (U13371975) on Thursday, 16th December 2010
Thanks Obelixx.
Aren't gardeners wonderful?
Three of my friends have offered homes for my garlic and dahlias, my Mum will take the bulbs and I guy I hardly know apart for us sharing a passion for dahlias, has offered me a chunk of his field, which is only a cycle ride away, AND the soil is valley bottom silty loam with not a stone to be seen, unlike my flinty clay patch. Here's to a new year of gardening for us all.
For a nasty moment there I thought I might have more time to do housework....... -
Message 13
Posted by Obelixx (U2157162) on Friday, 17th December 2010
Well, it looks like this cloud has a sliver lining after all.
I know just what you mean about housework too but I have to say the weeds grow so fast here it feels like the gardening version of dusting. Clean one day and all back again the minute you turn your back.
It looks like this is going to be another hard winter too making 3 in a row. Come spring when the dead count is done there'll be even more planting opportunities - and space for more weeds. -
Message 14
Posted by greeneddy (U6603838) on Friday, 17th December 2010
Hi crouchee
I was gutted for you when I read your first post, but so glad now I've scrolled down, to see you've had positive offers of other places to grow stuff, not too far away. It is V IMPORTANT not to lose gardening and have to take up housework instead. Wishing you all the best for your new gardening spaces in 2011.
Eddy xx -
Message 15
Posted by Vixxihibiscus (U13865184) on Tuesday, 21st December 2010
Hurrah,
I thought that was such a sad story. I'm glad it has a happy ending. I've only just got my allotment last November so I'd be completely devastated if I had to give it up now.
Good luck with your new ground and all the best for 2010 Crouchee
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Message 16
Posted by Vixxihibiscus (U13865184) on Tuesday, 21st December 2010
Incidentally, if you were closer to Aberdeen, I'd offer to share
An allotment with lovely David Austin Roses and Dahlias doesn't sound like a bad deal. It's a shame it's such a commute from Somerset!
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Message 17
Posted by Papa Nopsis (U14479902) on Sunday, 2nd January 2011
Surely you must have some rightsÂ
The rights are willing buyer/willing seller, which means right price, right area
between the two.
The going price at the moment may be up to £30,000/acre, £65,000/ha, for farm land used for personal horticulture (whatever the planning rights and wrongs may be)
Not many people could refuse that, but you could conduct a Dutch auction personally with the farmer, to tempt him in to the sale, at a lesser price.
A perfect market is defined as one with only one willing buyer and one willing seller.
It may have been potentially perfect, but it is no longer so.
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