back to section 8s

Updated 21st February 2008

Section 8s in Wales

Breakthrough News!  

Is a site near you under threat. Were the vacant plots on them advertised in the last three years?  Are they being replaced? Is the money from the sale coming back to the allotment movement? 

If your Allotment Field or any field you know of is under threat, the steps required for statuary land to be closed and sold are as follows.

Consent for the disposal of statutory allotments cannot be given unless the Secretary of State is satisfied that certain criteria are met. These were consulted on in the draft PPG 17 and clarified criteria were issued to Local Authorities in February 2002. These are that:

(A) the allotment in question is not necessary and is surplus to requirement;

(B) adequate provision will be made for displaced plot holders, or that such provision is not necessary or is impracticable;

(C) the number of people on the waiting list has been effectively taken into account;

(D) the Authority has actively promoted and publicised the availability of allotment sites and has consulted; and

(E) the implications of other relevant policies, in particular development plan policies, have been taken into account.

You should make sure the Council goes through this procedure and consult with the Regional Government Office of your area on the steps being taken, lodging objections at each stage if necessary. Some Councils have been known to overlook or ignore these steps. There have been 58 disposals since August 2007 so this is very important if we do not want land to be withdrawn.

 The following Statutory sites are currently under consideration for closure.   

Site Name	Local Authority	Decision	Date of Decision	New use of Land
The Llanbradach (Wingfield) Allotments	Caerphilly County Borough Council, Ystrad Fawr, Caerphilly Road, Ystrad Mynach, Hengoed, CF82 7SF
Flaxland Avenue Allotments, Gabalfa, Cardiff	Cardiff County Council, County Hall, Cardiff, CF10 4UW

If you need advice about what to do next, or are concerned about a site near you, we are here to help, please e-mail us at swc.aa@virgin.net

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