Summer Fire Safety, Water Use & Site Guidelines

Summer Fire Safety, Water Use & Site Guidelines

With the current dry spell affecting sites across Leeds, please take a moment to read the latest guidance for plot holders on bonfires, water butts, and boundary planting below.

Bonfires

Bonfires are only permitted at dawn and dusk, as set out in our site rules. However, with neighbours currently keeping their windows open in this heat, and given the risk that bonfires could be banned altogether if the situation continues, we're asking everyone to avoid lighting bonfires entirely for the next two months.

Please never burn plastic or any vegetation that produces smoke (including damp vegetation). If you do light a bonfire, never leave it unattended — in this dry weather, vegetation ignites easily and fire can spread quickly, even from bonfires lit in burn bins.

Water Butts and Hose Use

Where possible, please use a watering can rather than a hose — watering cans and other supplies are available from our Trading Hut on Saturday mornings. If you do use a hose:

• Never leave it unattended
• Do not use sprinklers under any circumstances
• Top up water butts regularly, so there's enough for plot holders relying on watering cans

Everyone is sharing the same water supply at the moment, so please be considerate.

Please do not wash hands, tools, or produce in the water butts, as this risks contaminating the water and spreading disease.

Trees and Boundaries

Please avoid planting trees near the edge of your plot — they grow larger than expected and can block pathways or overhang neighbouring plots. Remember, other plot holders have the right to cut back anything overhanging their plot from yours.

Food Project Update

Our community food project is now up and running — thank you to everyone who has donated. The collection box will be out again this week from Saturday, and on the coming weekends, for spare fruit and vegetables.