The City of Ely Allotments Association - A potted history
In this country ‘Allotments’ have been in existence for many years, but it was only in the early 20th century that they came under modern day legislation with the introduction of the ‘Small Holdings and Allotments Act 1908’. This Act was added to in 1919 with the ‘Land Settlement Facilities Act’, which was introduced mainly to assist returning servicemen giving them land to provide food for their families, but it also meant that allotments became available to all not just the ‘Labouring Population’. The ‘Allotments Act’ was further amended and added to in 1922, 1925 and 1950, and it is under this legislation that our allotments are rented to this day.
Over the decades the popularity of allotments nationally has varied and Ely was no exception to this. In the 1980’s the take up of allotments was low, and declining. Bridge Fen was the most popular site due to its black fen soil, but New Barns, despite being greatly reduced in size to provide a children’s playing field and an area for housing development, was less than half occupied. During this period an allotment site in St. John’s Road was taken over for development and it was strongly rumoured that, despite having a good level of occupancy, the Upherds Lane site would be next. In 1982 this became a case for an allotment protest and, fortunately it was proved that the site was ‘Statutory Allotment Land’, and the application for change of use was subsequently turned down by the government.
The allotments in Ely were at the time being run by the City Council with some assistance from the local Horticultural Society. There was very little maintenance and the annual rents only rose by a small amount each year. However, it was decided that the allotments would be better served by having their own organisation and in 1991 the ‘City of Ely Allotments Association’ was formed, to manage the sites on behalf of the City Council.
The Association is run by a committee which meets once a month, and consists of representatives from each of the allotment sites. The officers of the committee are elected at an Annual General Meeting held in early March, which all plot holders are invited to attend. At this meeting all aspects of the Association are discussed, whether it is a topic that affects everybody or just one site. Any alterations proposed at this AGM, e.g. changes to the Tenancy Agreement, the annual rent charge, or spending on site improvements, are then voted on by those present and a majority need to be in favour before they are implemented.
Once a year in September the Association holds an Awards Evening. Here the winners and runners-up, in several different classes, are presented with their trophies and certificates. Those plots shortlisted by the Committee for the main awards are judged during the summer by an independent and impartial person who has experience in having an allotment. The plots are judged on several different aspects, their layout, variation of crops, absence of weeds, together with tidiness and general maintenance. Within these categories allowances are made to compensate for the various sizes of plots on the different sites. The Awards Evening is a great time for all to socialise, guest speakers are invited to give talks on various subjects relating to allotments and during the refreshment break plot holders can discuss any problems they are having and seek help and advice from others.
During recent years the demand for an allotment has greatly increased, with more people wanting to grow their own fruit and vegetables coupled with the decreasing size of modern gardens. Ely is no exception to this demand and the Association are only too aware of the situation and have implemented measures to try and keep down our waiting list including reducing plot sizes on the sites, thus increasing the number of allotments available. By giving busy working families a smaller piece of land to maintain, the quality of upkeep has improved and we now have over 200 members.
The Association has recently undertaken significant maintenance and improvements on all our five sites, including better security and improved on-site access, and the installation of a water supply to three sites. This year the Bridge Fen site is due to have a completely new vehicular access and car park built as a result of the construction of the Ely Southern Bypass.
The future for allotments in Ely continues to look very bright. Contained within the plans for the Ely North Development are areas of land designated for new allotments. The Association has been involved from the initial planning stage concerning the use of these areas and it is pleasing to see positive results of these consultations reflected in the latest plans.
Graham Bond
Chair, City of Ely Allotments Association February 2018
Over the decades the popularity of allotments nationally has varied and Ely was no exception to this. In the 1980’s the take up of allotments was low, and declining. Bridge Fen was the most popular site due to its black fen soil, but New Barns, despite being greatly reduced in size to provide a children’s playing field and an area for housing development, was less than half occupied. During this period an allotment site in St. John’s Road was taken over for development and it was strongly rumoured that, despite having a good level of occupancy, the Upherds Lane site would be next. In 1982 this became a case for an allotment protest and, fortunately it was proved that the site was ‘Statutory Allotment Land’, and the application for change of use was subsequently turned down by the government.
The allotments in Ely were at the time being run by the City Council with some assistance from the local Horticultural Society. There was very little maintenance and the annual rents only rose by a small amount each year. However, it was decided that the allotments would be better served by having their own organisation and in 1991 the ‘City of Ely Allotments Association’ was formed, to manage the sites on behalf of the City Council.
The Association is run by a committee which meets once a month, and consists of representatives from each of the allotment sites. The officers of the committee are elected at an Annual General Meeting held in early March, which all plot holders are invited to attend. At this meeting all aspects of the Association are discussed, whether it is a topic that affects everybody or just one site. Any alterations proposed at this AGM, e.g. changes to the Tenancy Agreement, the annual rent charge, or spending on site improvements, are then voted on by those present and a majority need to be in favour before they are implemented.
Once a year in September the Association holds an Awards Evening. Here the winners and runners-up, in several different classes, are presented with their trophies and certificates. Those plots shortlisted by the Committee for the main awards are judged during the summer by an independent and impartial person who has experience in having an allotment. The plots are judged on several different aspects, their layout, variation of crops, absence of weeds, together with tidiness and general maintenance. Within these categories allowances are made to compensate for the various sizes of plots on the different sites. The Awards Evening is a great time for all to socialise, guest speakers are invited to give talks on various subjects relating to allotments and during the refreshment break plot holders can discuss any problems they are having and seek help and advice from others.
During recent years the demand for an allotment has greatly increased, with more people wanting to grow their own fruit and vegetables coupled with the decreasing size of modern gardens. Ely is no exception to this demand and the Association are only too aware of the situation and have implemented measures to try and keep down our waiting list including reducing plot sizes on the sites, thus increasing the number of allotments available. By giving busy working families a smaller piece of land to maintain, the quality of upkeep has improved and we now have over 200 members.
The Association has recently undertaken significant maintenance and improvements on all our five sites, including better security and improved on-site access, and the installation of a water supply to three sites. This year the Bridge Fen site is due to have a completely new vehicular access and car park built as a result of the construction of the Ely Southern Bypass.
The future for allotments in Ely continues to look very bright. Contained within the plans for the Ely North Development are areas of land designated for new allotments. The Association has been involved from the initial planning stage concerning the use of these areas and it is pleasing to see positive results of these consultations reflected in the latest plans.
Graham Bond
Chair, City of Ely Allotments Association February 2018