Who maintains allotment sites?

Most of the work associated with the allotment infrastructure is carried out by the councils own workforce.

The main grass paths are cut between April and October. The tops and outside of the hedges are pruned twice a year; once in the summer and once in the winter. Plot holders are required to prune the inside of the hedge adjacent to their plot.

All sites are well served by a series of water tanks and the provision of water is included within the allotment rent. We ask all plot holders to be considerate with their water use and where possible, to collect rainwater.

The use of hose pipes and sprinklers are not allowed.

If you report a problem with allotment maintenance, your report will be investigated as soon as possible and, where necessary, the work will be completed.

Who manages allotments?

We manage and maintain all 16 allotment sites in Stevenage. We also work in close partnership with volunteers and the Stevenage Gardens & Allotment Association (SGAA).

Volunteer site agents

Most of our allotment sites have a volunteer site agent that works closely with plot holders and the council to help manage the site. They offer a friendly face for advice on allotment matters and often volunteer their time to help with things like plot inspections, arranging plot viewings and reporting issues. If you think you can volunteer some of your time to help with the allotments, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Your responsibilities as plot holder

You can find all the rules contained within the Allotment Tenancy Agreement when you take on a plot.

Some key points in the agreement are:

• Pay the yearly rent invoice within 40 days of receiving the bill.
• Keep the plot reasonably free of weeds and cultivated at all times.
• Maintain surrounding pathways and boundaries to the plot.
• Keep the plot free from rubbish and unused items.
• Display your plot number.
• No bonfires or incineration.

Inspections

Volunteer site agents and the council inspect plots to ensure that they are being worked per the agreement. This process is essential to safeguarding standards on our allotments which are a benefit to plot holders, those who are on the waiting list, the local community and the environment.

If there is a clear breach of the terms of the agreement by a plot holder, we will start the enforcement process by sending a notice. As long as the breach is remedied within the required timeframe, the tenancy does not have to be terminated.

Complaints

We will respond to all service failure complaints about the management or maintenance of the allotments in line with our Complaints Procedure.

In most instances, complaints regarding allotments can be dealt with informally. You may also find it helpful to refer to your Allotment Tenancy Agreement or Structures Agreement.

You should complain to us only if you have given reasonable opportunity for the allotments team to comment and resolve any problems. You can contact us using the details below.