Kettering Allotments Society

Waiting List Policy

Rationale: - after many years of short and easily managed waiting lists, we experienced a huge increase in demand in the 2020 lockdown. A more formal policy was required and the policy below agreed by the committee.

Relevant Rules

• (Rule 16) Tenants have no right to pass on a tenancy. However, the committee will treat sympathetically any request from next of kin to continue to manage a plot.

• (Rule 8) Tenants may not assign, sub-let or change possession or control of all or part of an allotment. E.g. passing on your allotment to a friend, plot holder or family member. 

Policy 

• Each of our 4 fields has a separate waiting list and field stewards who manage them.

• To join the waiting list applicants contact the relevant field steward for that  field and provide full contact details:-   name, phone, email and address.

• All our  stewards' contact details are published on our website.

https://sites.google.com/view/ketteringallotments/join-a-waiting-list

The Kettering Town Council website also provides links to us and  other allotments in the vicinity. Likewise North Northamptonshire NNC https://www.ketteringtowncouncil.gov.uk/allotments

• Applicants may be on more than one waiting list if they have no preference, on the assumption that they will rent the first available plot. Once they are allocated a plot on one of our fields, their name will be removed from the other waiting lists.

• The tenancy conditions are such that applicants must be named adult individuals, who may represent a household/family or organisation. The named individual remains responsible for the tenancy

• Applicants and tenants must be adults, resident in Kettering. Those from other places will be directed to the relevant Council website.

• Waiting lists are chronological, with no queue jumping.

• When an applicant reaches the top of the waiting list they will be contacted by the steward. If there is no response after one week, the steward may contact the next person on the list. If there is no response after one month, the name will be removed from the list.

• When there is high demand for allotments, if the applicant declines the plot they are offered but wishes to remain on the waiting list, then this request will be treated sympathetically. It may be necessary to move the applicant to the bottom of the waiting list.

• Applicants on the waiting list may be contacted to determine whether they wish to remain on the list. If no response has been received after 28 days  their details will be removed from the waiting list.

• New tenants will be restricted to one 5-pole plot per household. Existing tenants with more than 5 poles will not be affected.

• Existing plot holders who wish to apply for additional land will be treated sympathetically. When demand is low and there is no waiting list it may be possible to rent additional land.  Such requests will only be granted when there are vacant plots and the tenant's current plot is fully cultivated and compliant with our Rules and Policies.

• We understand that existing tenants might like to apply for additional plots next door to them, but these are subject to the waiting list and the above restrictions.
   

This  policy may be reviewed and amended by the committee.

Waiting list policy ends.