Allotments

To contact the Allotment Officer, call 01325 406719 or email countryside@darlington.gov.uk

We are always trying to make it easier for you to contact us and keep your records up to date.

If you need to let us know your address has changed or if you wish to surrender your plot, please complete and return the appropriate form below by post or email.

• Change of address form [online form, opens in new window]
• Tenancy surrender (cancellation) form [online form, opens in new window]

Allotment sites

DBC own 15 allotment sites within Darlington, which together contain a total of over 800 individual allotment plots. The council manage Arnold Road, Honeypot Lane, Park Side and Springwell Terrace, the rest are self-managed associations ran by individual committees.

Allotment sites map [pdf document]

There are also sites within the villages of Heighington, Hurworth, Middleton St George, Neasham and Sadberge.

To apply for an allotment in Hurworth please contact: enquiries@hurworthparishcouncil.org.uk

To be eligible to apply for an allotment in Middleton St George you must live within the parish. To apply contact Les Foggett (Secretary) on 07974080738 or email: lesfoggett@gmail.com. You can also apply online [external link].

Hens, rabbits, and bees can be kept on some sites.

Hens are currently kept at Arnold road, Barmpton Lane, Cockerton, Five Arches, Hummersknott (West Cemetery), Salters Lane North and Smithfield Road.

Pigeons can only be kept on plots previously used to house pigeons at Arnold road, Cockerton, Five Arches and Salters Lane North.

Humersknott, Bellburn Lane and Dodmire allow bees in specific areas, Barmpton Lane, Cockerton and Dodmire have bees on plots.

Renting an allotment

The rent for a full plot from Darlington Borough Council is £120.00. Rents will rise to £145 from 1 April 2018. No concessions are available.

Self-managed sites are run by individual committees and each site has different rents and concession rates. Rents are currently cheaper than DBC. You can apply for a plot on self-managed site by completing the on-line form below. Prices, details of concessions and number of people on waiting lists are also shown.

Allotment waiting list

To be eligible to apply for an allotment you must be aged over 18 and live within the Borough of Darlington (If you aged between 16 and 18 you can apply to go on the waiting list, however you will not be able to take over a tenancy until you are 18). Complete the application form [online form, opens in new window]. Once you have applied for an allotment, it is your responsibility to inform us of any change of contact details. If you cannot be contacted your name will be removed from the waiting list. You may put your name down for more than one allotment site, but you can only have one allotment garden.

Application forms received for council run sites will not be acknowledged but you can now track your progress/view your position on the allotment waiting list [pdf document] (last updated January 2018)

Please call 01325 406719 for your waiting list number. As a security measure we will be unable to give you your reference number unless you tell us your date of birth.

Buddy scheme

People helping on plots can formally register themselves as co-workers (one per plot, must have to demonstrate that that have been an essential part of running the allotment for a minimum of three years). The ‘buddy’ will then be entered onto the waiting list and providing they are at the top of the list when the plot is made available, they will be entitled to take the tenancy over. A buddy can be aged between 16 and 18, however they will not be able to take over a tenancy until they are aged over 18 at the time they reach the top of the waiting list.

Buddy application form [online form, opens in new window]

Self-managed association allotment sites (Council owned, run by committee)

Twelve of the town's sites are now under self-management. To apply for an allotment you can either complete the application form and email it to the relevant associations or contact them direct by telephone.

Application form for self-managed association allotment sites [online form, opens in new window]

Independently managed sites

Some privately-owned (by which we mean non-Council) allotments may also be available.

Individual raised beds are available to rent which would be suitable for less able gardeners.

Allotment strategy

An allotments strategy for Darlington 2009-2019 [pdf document, 1.1mb]