Allotment Dispute Options

[Simon Kirby]

The Town Council have issued a press-release about my dispute with them. I would be grateful if you would read it and comment.

[Andy Capp]

I think the council have issued a statement that somewhat shows the bad faith between you and the council. With the way the notice is written, I find it hard to believe that you couldn't have in some way done something to deserve the vexatious tag.

While you have not been named, it is quite obvious from text that lies within the public domain who it is they are referring to. I would expect better from council officials and feel they have issued the statement with regrettable malice.

There are advantages to self-management in certain circumstances, but the cost savings claimed by this individual are wholly unrealistic, the risk of failure is high, and in fact the vast majority of the Council’s allotment tenants are happy with the traditional method of allotment management currently deployed (as is made clear to the Council through the regular tenants’ meetings and “self-help” associations).

A detailed Self-Management proposal that explains the benefit to Newbury’s residents as well as its allotment tenants would of course be considered, but despite a great deal of rhetoric, no such proposal has been made.

Several things I found interesting in this passage above.

A detailed Self-Management proposal explaining the benefits from Simon Kirkby has not been made, yet they know enough to say that his costs savings are unrealistic.

They say the vast majority are happy with the current set up, but that isn't the same as saying they have made enquiries and self management hasn't proved popular.

It's like as has been posted before, perhaps tax payers should push for self management regardless what either parties feel? Make self management a prerequisite for owning an allotment?