Allotments

Bucklesham Parish Council has one allotment site in Green Crescent. It is an area of land set aside by the Council, and protected by statute, for the purposes of leisure and of growing vegetables, flowers, and fruit.

The site has 21 plots, some split into half plots. The allotments are actively monitored by Councillors and the Clerk and inspections are carried out twice a year, in March and again in September. 

We currently charge £40 per year for a full plot, and £20 for a half plot.

Priority is given to Bucklesham residents. All tenants must abide by the Tenancy Agreement. Anyone found not to be abiding by the agreement risks losing their plot. 

The Parish Council is proud to be able to offer these facilities to residents who want a piece of 'The Good Life' and has the powers to manage these plots under the Allotments Acts 1908 and 1950. To be eligible for a Bucklesham Allotment a person must be 18 years or older and reside within the Parish Boundary (section 23(1) of the Allotments Act 1908). When the Parish Council secured the Community Asset Transfer from East Suffolk Council in 2023, they gave an assurance to all Tenants who were not residents that they would honour their historical agreements. 

The Council operates a Waiting List managed by the Clerk. When a plot becomes vacant the plot is offered to the person on the top of the waiting list. People are given two weeks to respond to this offer and if no response is received within this time, the plot will be offered to the next person on the waiting list. Where, for example two plots become available at the same time, the Council will contact the first two people on the list regarding the two vacant plots and these will be allocated on a ‘first come first served basis’.

All allotment plots are let on an ‘as seen’ basis. The Council does not conduct improvement or clearance works for new tenants. In the event that a plot is taken on in a very unkempt state, the Council has the discretion to allow the tenant to forego the Hire Charge in the first year. 

The Council rents out full plots and half plots. Due to the increasing demand for allotment plots new tenants are being restricted to being able to rent a half plot in the first instance.

The Council promotes best practice on the allotments and encourage sustainable environmental management. It seeks to make sites accessible and useable for all allotment tenants. The Council assists security by providing boundary fences with lockable access gates. We will arrange for urgent and health and safety related ground maintenance operations to be conducted as well as ongoing grass cutting maintenance of the shared grassed areas on the edges of the plots.

The Council will promote best practice on the allotment and encourage sustainable environmental management. It will seek to make sites accessible and useable for all allotment tenants.

Tenants are permitted to install compost bins and structures intended for such purpose. Tenants are also permitted to erect sheds, fruit cages and support structures for soft fruit and fruit trees. Barbed wire is not permitted on any part of the allotment site.

The Council is dedicated to treating all plot holders with fairness and consistency. We encourage open and honest communication from our plot holders, enabling us to respond with the care and understanding needed to address any concerns effectively. 

The Council understands that personal circumstances may change and a tenant may be temporarily unable to manage the plot as well as they would like. In these circumstances the Council is always understanding and will give tenants the opportunity to explain their mitigating circumstances, which may lead to a grace period with regards to ensuring they fulfil the Tenancy Agreement.

We regularly review the status of tenants to ensure that the support provided is effective and to identify any additional needs.

The Parish Council has a close working relationship with neighbouring farmers, Home Farm Nacton, and we work together to ensure best practice and that the use of pesticides does not affect the plots.

Details of how to rent an allotment can be found by contacting the Parish Council Clerk at clerk@buckleshamparishcouncil.gov.uk