Contents
Cardiff allotments page with guide
Voluntary termination of tenancy blank form
Extract from application form for sheds, greenhouses, etc.
Fencing
Terms of tenancy – guidance summary from Cardiff’s Handy Guide for Growers
New Tenancy Agreement, including Schedule of conditions
When and how the council may close our tenancy of our plot
Cardiff allotments page with guide
Cardiff have their own page, with a handy guide, which is reproduced – with acknowledgments – here, but please note that the email address shown should now be allotments@Cardiff.gov.uk:-
Voluntary Termination of Tenancy blank form (scroll down for Welsh copy)
Please note that the email address shown should now be allotments@Cardiff.gov.uk
Extract from application form for permission for sheds, greenhouses, shelters and other structures
Sheds, greenhouses, cages etc. all need Council consent. However, PPAA Committee’s understanding is that these revised rules are not retrospective, and that structures approved using the previous application form up until 2022 remain acceptable. PPAA’s understanding is also – as stated below – that this consent is required for all structures including shelters and cages, and whether the applicant considers them to be permanent or temporary is immaterial.
The application form – available from PPAA Committee – includes the following important information:-
1) Structure means toolbox, shed, greenhouse, polytunnel, fruitcage etc.
2) Structures must be less than 2.2 m (7’6”) at the apex.
3) The total area occupied by all structures on the plot must not occupy more than 30% of the plot area. A plot of over 2.5 perch (62 sq. m) in area may have one storage shed or greenhouse. A plot over 5 perch (125 sq.m) in area may have one storage shed and one greenhouse as long as the area of ground covered by each structure is not greater than 6 sq.m and the structure is not within a Conservation Area, World Heritage Site or curtilage of a Listed Building and the structure not being within 8m of a non-tidal river and 16m of a tidal river (or associated defences)
You should also note that if the above limitations are exceeded then you will need to get planning permission and the agreement of Parks Services and Planning before the structure is erected.
4) Don’t incur any expense before you have been given permission as you will not be reimbursed if permission is not granted.
5) If permission is granted, it is on the understanding that should the Council subsequently give notice to remove the structure, then no compensation will be paid.
6) You must remove the structure before giving up the tenancy of the plot. You should also be aware that you are responsible for any expenses incurred by the Council and/or Pontcanna Permanent Allotments Association if you do not remove the structure at the end of the tenancy.
7) No structure can be built of, or contain, material which is noxious, dangerous, or carcinogenic. Asbestos, in all its forms, is forbidden.
8) The total area occupied by all structures on the plot must not occupy more than 30% of the plot area.
9) You should include water harvesting arrangements with your structure.
Terms of tenancy – guidance summary – extract from Cardiff’s Handy Guide for Growers
[The wording of the below is Cardiff Council’s.]
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UNDERSTANDING THE ALLOTMENT RULES
What are the rules for?
The Allotments Act and your Tenancy Agreement dictate how your allotment can be used. The agreement is a legal document and failure to comply with it could result in the termination of your tenancy.
Summary of the rules
Please note:
This summary is provided as a guide to help you understand your tenancy agreement. It is provided for information purposes only and is not [in itself] legally binding. It does not replace [that is, re-write] the terms and conditions of your Allotment Tenancy Agreement [which is].
Under your Allotment Tenancy Agreement, you are expected to:
1 – Maintain your plot in good condition
This means you must:
- Cultivate all of your plot, keeping it weed free and well-manured.
- Clear all weeds to prevent them from setting seed and causing nuisance to others
- Maintain pathways between your plot and those surrounding it in good condition and free from any obstructions.
- Display your plot number clearly within the allotment plot.
- Maintain any sheds, greenhouses or other structures in good condition, otherwise you may be asked to remove them.
- Leave the plot in good condition, free from rubbish and structures if you decide to terminate your tenancy. The Council will recover the costs of doing this from you if you fail to do so.
2 – Use your allotment only for the approved purpose
This means you must:
- Use your Allotment plot only for growing produce. You cannot keep livestock and you are not permitted to cut or prune trees for timber. However, you are permitted to prune fruit trees on your plot.
- Cultivate your plot for the benefit of you and your family and friends. Allotments are not to be used for trade, business or retail.
- Cultivate the plot yourself. No part of the plot should be sub-let to any other person.
- Get permission to locate any building or structure on the plot (see Section 6). No buildings on site are to be used for sleeping accommodation and you must not install any hard surface or patio on your plot.
3 – Be a responsible allotment holder:
This means you must:
- Always ensure that the gate(s) to the allotment are locked after entering or leaving the site.
- Keep your keys for your own use. Do not give site keys to other people or allow them to visit the site unsupervised.
- Ensure your dog remains on your plot at all times if brought to the site
- Closely supervise any children you bring with you, ensuring they remain on your plot. The allotment site is not a playground
- Avoid causing nuisance, damage or annoyance to the council, other allotment tenants or the residents of surrounding property/land. Nuisance could include the use of bad or abusive language, getting drunk, playing loud music or lighting bonfires. No fires are allowed on allotment plots.
- Ensure no noxious, dangerous or carcinogenic materials are present on the allotment plot. The use of materials containing asbestos is not permitted.
- Be courteous to other plot holders. Do not use any threatening or abusive behaviour on the site, either physical or verbal.
- Make sure your plot is kept in a tidy condition. You are not allowed to bring domestic refuse onto the site or allow any waste materials to accumulate on the plot. Old carpets must not be used to cover bare ground before planting. See Section 5 [of the Cardiff Guide] for alternative ways of reducing weed growth.
- Retain all topsoil and subsoil on your plot. You may not remove or sell any mineral, gravel, sand or clay from the allotment site
- Visit the site only in daylight hours. Do not visit before sunrise or after sunset.
4 – Reduce, re-use and recycle
This means you must:
- Compost all soft vegetable waste on your plot, compost and recycle as much as possible
- Use water sparingly, harvest rainwater where possible. Consider collecting rain water in water tanks for use on the plot. Do not use hosepipes.
5 – Get appropriate permission from the Council when required
You will need formal permission for:
- Planting trees (other than small growing fruit trees) on an allotment site
- Building a shed, greenhouse, pond, fence or any other structure on the allotment
6 – Ensure payments and records are up to date
This means you must:
- Be a Cardiff resident to hold an allotment, unless the Council consents otherwise.
- Pay your rent promptly when you receive your bill
- Contact the Council if you change your address
- Tell the both the Council and the Site Secretary when you decide to give up your plot, we have waiting lists for all sites
7 – What happens if I breach the rules?
Your tenancy may be terminated if you do not comply with the allotment rules. Depending on how you have breached the rules this will happen in one of two ways:
(1 )- Breach of rules, including non payment of rent
The Council will give you one months notice in writing that tenancy is to be terminated.
(2) – Conviction of theft from any allotment plot by the tenant or any person invited by them onto the allotment site
Your Tenancy Agreement will terminate immediately and without notice.
New Tenancy Agreement, including Schedule of conditions
Every plot holder has signed – or will sign – the Agreement of which the said Schedule is a part, and we’re therefore all bound equally by its terms. There are important new rules, and everyone’s therefore asked to see that their plot complies with them. Where the wording differs from our old Agreement, it is highlighted in yellow..
Fencing
Condition 2.7 above requires consent for any fencing. This can be granted – by PPAA as the Council’s delegate – but only subject to PPAA’s understanding of the Council’s position below:
As a general rule, fencing of allotment plots is not permitted. However, the Council recognises that some sites have problems with mice and rabbits, and so and will permit the installation of this type of fencing – e.g. wire mesh with suitable supports – as long as:
· Permission has been granted.
· The fencing is less than one metre high
· The fencing is installed within the boundaries of the plot, and must not obstruct pathways.
· The fencing does not present a hazard to other users.
Site Representatives need to make sure that tenants discuss their proposals to install rabbit fencing prior to installation. If there are any difficulties, then the Site Representative should raise the issue with the Council. Any fencing higher than one metre must be reduced to that height. Tenants should discuss any difficulties with the Site Representative in the first instance, who can then raise any specific requests with the Council.
