The rules

1. Each allotment shall be held on a yearly tenancy beginning on 1st January.
2. The year's rent shall become due on the 1st January and shall be payable in advance during January each year. the rent shall be paid to the secretary of the association at such time and place as shall be annually appointed by notice in the press or posted in the field. Late payment incurs a penalty of £2
3. One year's rent or a proportion shall be paid in advance by every incoming tenant who shall also sign an undertaking on entry into his allotment to abide by all the conditions, rules and by-laws of the association.
4. The tenancy may be determined in any year on or before 6th January or on or after 29th June upon three months notice being given by the association or the tenant. The proportion of rent being due being payable. No refund of rent paid will be made.
5. Every tenant shall cultivate his/her allotment in a business-like manner, keeping it well manured and free from weeds. Tenants shall be responsible for the upkeep and tidiness of all hedges and roadways abutting on to their allotment. The tenant shall be held liable for any expense incurred by the association in cleaning his/her neglected allotment.
6. No encroachment shall be made by any tenant on a neighbour's allotment, or onto the roadways, and no damage shall be done by any tenant to the stumps, fences, gates or gatepost belonging to the land or cropping of any of the allotments. No turf, loam or soil shall be sold or removed from the field. DOGS MUST BE KEPT ON A LEAD.
7. A tenant using or commissioning the use of motor vehicles on allotment land will be held liable for any damage caused to roadways, gates, plots etc. Tenants shall not park vehicles on allotment roadways, but use may be made of hard standings where provided. The management committee reserve the right to close roadways to vehicles without prior notice being given ant any time.
8. Any member of the management committee or officer of the association shall be entitled at any time to enter and inspect the allotment and any hut thereon.
9. The tenant may erect one hut only, which shall be not larger than 8' long, by 6' wide and 7'6" high and whose construction and position shall be approved by the committee. The committee's approval is required for the erection of any fence. Barbed wire is not allowed.
10. No tenant shall sub-let any portion of his/her allotment upon any pretence whatever. A tenant shall not change his/her plot, acquire others or otherwise alter the name of the tenant without the steward's permission. The maximum holding for any one tenant is thirty poles in area. tenants are required to notify any change in address to the secretary of the association.
11. The tenant shall not use allotment land for keeping livestock of any description nor shall he/she use the land for garaging vehicles, vehicle breaking or repairing, rag picking or any other business other than legitimate agriculture or horticulture purposes. No trees other than miniature fruit trees shall be grown.
12. Any member/tenant using a hose pipe to irrigate their plot will be instantly dismissed.
13. A tenant whose plot is not cultivated satisfactorily in any year shall be deemed to have vacated it notwithstanding the rent may have been paid. Such tenant shall have a right to appeal to the committee.
14. The tenant shall give up at any time the whole or any portion of the allotment for railway, building or ironstone purposes on receiving three months notice in writing from the association and shall be entitled to compensation as provided by the Allotments Acts, a proportionate reduction of the rent being made.
15. In case of any of the foregoing conditions, numbered respectively 2,5,6,8,10,11 and 12 being broken by any tenant, his/her tenancy shall thereupon cease and his/her allotments deemed forfeited and the association entitled to take possession of any re-let same, a proportion of rent being payable up to the date of such possession being taken. Condition 2 will be broken if the rent is not paid as thereby required notwithstanding it may not have been demanded from the tenant.
16. Birds (chickens, ducks etc)/Rabbits. These are allowed to be kept under the strict rules of the association. All birds/rabbits must be kept in an enclosure that is entirely separate and within the boundary fences of your plot. The enclosure must have a roof to prevent the escape of birds. Anyone wishing to keep birds/rabbits must first get permission from the committee and demonstrate that they have the regulation enclosure according to the rules before putting in the birds/rabbits. FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THESE RULES WILL MEAN THAT AFTER ONE WRITTEN WARNING THE BIRDS/RABBITS WILL BE REMOVED AND DESTROYED AT THE TENANT'S EXPENSE (see 17 below)
17. The following observations also apply for the general good of all tenants:-

• tenants shall have the same authority as the committee to report or prevent the dumping of rubbish, or other circumstances detrimental to the allotment land and to approach any stranger when the circumstances deem it necessary.
• the committee shall also expect the fullest co-operation from tenants as witnesses in cases where legal proceedings are instituted against any person found pilfering or causing damage to allotments and crops, huts fences and other installations, or indulging in dangerous behaviour (e.g. using firearms and the like, driving and riding vehicles in a furious manner on allotment land).
• loss and damage to huts and plots must be reported directly to the police, a crime number obtained and the association notified thereafter.
• the field steward is not a rent collector except by courtesy and favour. Tenants should make every effort to pay their rent at the specified times and place.
• Fires are hazardous and are discouraged on allotments; waste is better composted or taken to the recycling depot. If a bonfire is absolutely necessary, it must never be left unattended and must comply with health and safety legislation.
• when thinking of having birds/rabbits on your plot the prime consideration must be the other plot holders who are growing crops. Escaping birds/rabbits can damage months of work in hours. Legally you can be held financially responsible.
• Any member who has a source of vermin on his/her plot must take effective measures to eliminate the vermin and report this to the field steward. Professional help (eg pest control department at KBC) must be paid for by the member concerned if their own efforts fail to control the vermin. Repeated infestations on one plot may lead to disciplinary action.