Allotments and Grazing
Allotment news/updates
Bonfires will be banned on all allotment fields from 1 April 2023. For more information, click here to read the email sent to all tenants.
Click to view the newsletter here – bit.ly/2YWKWrS
During lockdown we have seen an increase in people taking on allotments within Wheathampstead. Allotment plots are not just for for lockdowns.
Before you decide to take on an allotment plot, are you prepared to maintain it for at least a year? If not, then please consider an alternative option for your growing and cultivation needs.
The Parish Council’s policy on using allotments during the COVID-19 outbreak can be found here. Please note one important change – no bonfires are permitted until further notice.
The rules have been slightly amended with regards to keeping livestock. Section 3.13 now states:
Although it is lawful under Section 12 of the Allotments Act 1950 to keep hens or rabbits / certain livestock on an allotment. However, the Parish Council has restricted the keeping of livestock to poultry. The tenant shall not keep or allow other persons to keep any livestock on the allotment site without the written consent of the Council. Tenants are required to register livestock with the Council and meet the minimum standards in these and supplementary guidelines (see Appendix 2 for Guidelines for keeping livestock and beekeeping on allotments). The tenant must also refer to the poultry guidelines which can be found on the Parish Council website. A paper copy can also be obtained from the office.
Overview
The Parish Council owns two allotment sites and rents two more, from Herts County Council and St Albans Diocese. There are currently 186 allotments in total across these four fields and are made up three different sized plots. The costs detailed below are applicable from 1 April to 31 March and are payable per annum.
If you are interested in renting an allotment, please email us at info@wheathampstead-pc.gov.uk.
Priority is given to Wheathampstead residents, however, if you live elsewhere we are happy to put your details on our waiting list should we ever have several vacant plots.
The fees for 2022/23 are £4.60 per pole:
- 2.5 pole = 63 sqm – £11.50 per annum
- 5 pole = 127 sqm – £23.00 per annum
- 10 pole = 253 sqm – £46.00 per annum
Costs may be discounted if a plot is taken with less than six months remaining of the allotment year.
Click on each of the allotment fields to view its location on Google Maps.
- The Folly – Folly Fields
- The Slype, Gustard Wood – Baxendale
- Marford Road – Glebe (closest to L’Olivo) and Hitchens (the larger of the two fields, closest to Necton Road)
Fields plans can be found here. Either scroll through the images or use the tabs at the bottom to view each field plan, depending on the device you are using.
The Allotments Sub-Committee looks after the day-to-day operation of the plots and there are representatives from each allotment site on the committee. The committee report to the Community Involvement Committee.
The National Allotment Society www.nsalg.org.uk
The Royal Horticultural Society www.rhs.org.uk
Grazing
In addition to allotments, we have are three grazing plots and one smallholding. We rent these out on a rolling annual licence. When they become available they are advertised widely so that interested parties can submit a sealed tender for the plot.