Allotment sites
In Barnet, there are some 44 sites, managed by 37 societies, with a total of over 4000 allotment plots. The rents for plots and other related charges are set by the individual societies and vary quite widely across the borough.
If you wish to apply for an allotment, you must apply to one or more of the allotment societies; how to do this is explained below. It is not possible to apply to Barnet Council, as it no longer manages the allotment sites; since 1st April 2013, they have been managed by the allotment societies.
The facilities provided vary from site to site. Most have their own water supplies and many have off-street parking, toilets, secure fencing, locking gates and hard roadways. Some have trading huts where seeds, garden chemicals and canes can be bought, usually at competitive prices, and some have machinery, such as rotavators and mowers, available to take some of the hard work out of digging and maintenance.
Availability of plots
To help you locate the sites, the societies that manage them and the facilities offered, have a look at the Allotment Site Finder, where you can see at a glance which allotment sites currently have vacant plots to rent, together with a link to information about each site, where you will find their addresses and details of contacts. If a society has a website, then you will also find a link to it. You will also find links to society websites here.
Since there is a high demand for allotments in the borough, at any one time, there are unlikely to be many vacancies on these sites, but don’t let that put you off enquiring after and applying for a plot. Tenants come and go on a regular basis and while most sites now have waiting lists, some quite long, it is better to be on a list than not. However, because there is no centrally held list of rents and charges, you must find out about them from the individual societies. Sometimes you can find the information on a website, while for others you must enquire by telephone or email. The contact details are given on the Allotment Site Finder.
Plot sizes
Plot sizes have traditionally been measured in poles, and this is the unit used in allotment legislation. A pole (or rod or perch) is an old agricultural measure of area – 5½ yards by 5½ yards – equivalent to about 30 square yards or 25 square metres. Most societies still quote plot sizes in poles, but some now use square meters.
A traditional full-sized plot of 10 poles is equivalent to about 300 square yards or 250 square metres. If a full-sized plot is too large for you then you might be able to rent a half plot at 5 poles or, occasionally even, a quarter plot at 2½ poles. A quarter plot is an excellent size to start with if you have no gardening experience and once your confidence increases you might be able to rent more land, but such small plots are not always available.
When to apply
While the best time to take up a vacant plot is early autumn so that you have ample time over the months before planting and sowing time in the spring to prepare it, this is not always possible, so it is always worth making enquiries whatever the time of year.
How to apply
You may use the form on this page to apply to your preferred allotment site.
If, after submitting an application, you do not receive an email to tell you that it has been received, please let us know by email to webeditor@barnetallotments.org.uk
Personal data
Please note that, in order to forward your application to the societies you select, it is necessary to save the information that you provide about yourself in our IT systems. This will be retained only as long as is necessary.