The Dartford Festival Allotments Competition is run by the Dartford Allotments Steering Committee in the interests of promoting the benefits of allotment gardening to the people of Dartford. This year the competition will be for three trophies: the Borough Shield (for the best allotment in the Dartford Borough area on a site supervised by or leased from Dartford Borough Council), the Villages Cup (for the best allotment in the Dartford Borough area on a site supervised by or leased from a town or parish council), and the Fred Brown Cup (for the best performance by a novice allotment gardener on a site in the Dartford Borough area, a novice being a person whose first tenancy on the site concerned commenced on or after January 1, 1998).

1. The administration of the Dartford Festival Allotments Competition will be the responsibility of the Dartford Allotments Steering Committee, consisting of one or two representatives from each participating site within or under the jurisdiction of the Borough of Dartford, preference being given to representatives appointed by the Committee of the local Allotments Association or Society where such exists.

2. The Competition will be open to all plotholders cultivating allotment gardens on sites located within the Borough of Dartford.

3. Judging will take place on the weekend of July 8-9, 2000, the judges to be appointed by the Dartford Allotments Steering Committee from an Allotment Association or Society located elsewhere than within the Borough of Dartford.

4. In judging plots which have been entered for the competition, the judges will give consideration to the following criteria: (i) crop quality, (ii) crop planning, (iii) good husbandry, (iv) waste management within the plot, (v) use of organic methods, and (vi) visual amenity.

5. Participants will be required to complete and return an entry form to be included with Issue 7 of the QED Allotments Newsletter (Spring 2000), which will include an undertaking that photographs can be taken of the plot for display at the 2000 Dartford Festival.

6. The trophies for the Dartford Festival Allotments Competition will be presented to the winners in December 2000 at a ceremony to be held in the Civic Centre, and will be retained for one year.

7. The Dartford Festival Committee will be responsible for insuring the trophies, and for advertising the Competition within the Borough in cooperation with the Dartford Allotments Steering Committee.