Having an allotment is a very rewarding experience. Growing your own crops is very satisfying and your own freshly picked produce tastes amazing.

However is is also a serious commitment. You need to be able to devote several hours a week to your plot and it is an all year round commitment, not just seasonal. Weeds grow incredibly quickly. Seedlings need protection from birds, slugs, snails and butterflies. Plants need watering and tending. Harvesting berries takes a long time. It isn't as simple as doing a bit of digging, sowing seeds or planting seedlings and coming back a few weeks later to harvest them. It takes a lot of time and effort.

You can apply for a plot at one or more CDHS sites. Each site is a different size and has a different rate of turnover of plots and their own waiting list. Upon application you will be contacted by each site representative to give you confirmation of your application and the size of their waiting list. It is difficult to say how long you may have to wait for a plot, but by applying to multiple sites you may get a plot sooner.

New tenants sign a legal tenancy agreement and are subject to a three month probationary period. A copy of the full tenancy agreement is on the Our Files page, but some of the main points from the agreement are below.

  1. The Tenant shall keep the Allotment tidy, in a good state of cultivation, free from excessive weeds, with good fertility and in a safe condition to the reasonable satisfaction of the site management committee. A plot should be reasonably productively cultivated during the growing season. This will be assessed by the site management committee and any sanction issued as necessary.
  2. Any materials brought to the Allotment should be for horticultural use. Tenants should be aware that it is not acceptable to allow building material, rubbish or waste to build up on the plots. Should there be a need to remove excess material the Tenant will be liable for removal or cost of removal during or at the end of tenancy. No wet or dry poured concrete or similar should be used.
  3. Garden waste fires may only be lit with prior consent from the site representative and following the guidance on the Council’s Environmental Services website. Fires must not be left unattended.
  4. Watering cans or handheld hoses only are to be used subject to water company regulations. No non-manual irrigation systems are allowed.
  5. Tenants must not cut or prune any trees adjoining the Allotment without the consent of the Society. This does not affect the routine pruning of the Tenant’s own trees and hedges on the Allotment. All new trees must be dwarf rootstock and all branches to remain within the plot boundary.
  6. No fences, sheds, greenhouses, poly-tunnels or trees shall be placed on or removed from the Allotment without the prior written consent of the site management committee.
  7. The Tenant must not keep any livestock, chickens or rabbits on the Allotment. Bees may only be kept with the permission of the site representative who will agree matters such as insurance, signage and fencing with the Tenant.
  8. Sale of allotment produce is strictly prohibited with the exception of honey.

If you wish to apply for an allotment, please click on the link below, complete and submit this application form. Your details will be forwarded to the site representatives of the sites you select and will only be kept by them while you are on their waiting list. You can ask to be removed from a waiting list at any time. You must be a resident with the borough of Surrey Heath and pay council tax to SHBC to apply for a plot.

Plot application form (this will open in another window)

If you are interested in a plot at the new allotment site being developed at Mindenhurst in Deepcut, SHBC are collecting names of people interested in taking a plot at the new site. To register your interest send an email to leisure.services@surreyheath.gov.uk .