Allotmenteers across the country are reportedly facing huge rent rises - in some case 30 times the rate of inflation.
Cash-strapped councils are being accused of cashing in on the massive demand for allotments.
The biggest rise so far seems to be in the North London Borough of Barnet where rents have gone up from £110 to £340 per year - 30 times the rate of inflation. The rise will bring the council an extra £14,000 a year.
What is your rent? Is it going up? What do you think of the rises - are they fair?
Wow, I answered No to the poll, but was thinking to myself that they are incredibly reasonable and it wouldn't matter if they raised a little and then I read the above comment OMG my rent is £17 a year for half a plot and I think it is about £35 for a whole one, this includes water!!!! Our Parish Council is actually running our plots at a loss, we are obviously incredibly lucky compared to some and I understand why some of you are so passionate about it.
Hayley
Isle of Wight
I'm in Haringey in North London and I think our rent is about £80 a year but other people on the allotment tell me it might be going up soon. Even if it went up to £100, I still think it would be good value but some people find that hard - especially if they are on a pension.
Rents should reflect value for money. Linking them to any arbitrary number crunch statistic is a nonsense. The rent should reflect what the land owners are providing for the rent and what they could achieve otherwise. In putting this point of view I am ignoring all social elements of the debate.
At CYD allotments scheme we enjoy a rent of £25 per half (standard size) plot
with water provided. We are responsible for all the administration and management of the scheme with the landowner providing the land only.
Brian
Here in Harleston, which is a small market town in Norfolk, we pay £52 a year. We feel that this is quite expensive for a non-city location. But the allotments are new and our council say that they had a lot of start-up costs eg legal fees. We were told our rent should go down when these costs have been covered, although three years in, it hasn't happened yet.
the annual rent for our plot, Eastleigh, Hampshire, is £20. think it's double that for under 65s.
the rent includes water, toilet facility, and brick-built lock-up communal sheds for those who don't have one of their own on their plot.
the site has an almost vandal-proof fence all around and a padlocked entrance.
no complaints at all! well, maybe a minor one - we're right by the M3, but you just don't notice the traffic noise once you get stuck in.
no wa way should these prises rise at this rate.we are not talking about a few pounds but hundreds of pounds and then where will it end;these councils go on at us about the enviriment we veg growers are some of the most enviriment freindly people going and they want to put another tax.cost.rate rise on us. bob
Its natural that councils will try to get as much money as possible from allotments in the current crisis, when i had my allotment in Reading 1 of the pensioners said to me how the council had a cheek to put the rent up to £20 per year, my reply was if it meant we had a decent water supply & improvements made it shoud go up to £52 (£1 a week, still cheap) i thought the poor old boy was going to drop down dead with shock, the rent on my current lot in Basingstoke is £18 per year.
I am amazed at differences in rent amounts. Ours in Sunderland has risen to £50. We only have water taps here and there and have been told to expevt greater rises. My son pays £24 for a double allotment plus his own tap and he lives in Seaham, Co Durham 10 miles from me. I feel sorry for people in London area.
I currently pay about £21 for my allotment and i find that very cheap just about what you would spend when you go out for a meal....we have been informed that we will have to pay £23 next year...thats not much....
My husband and i are only mid.twenties and live in hull. Our rent is 35 a year including water for 250m square which i cant complain at, especially seeing as our house only has a yard and no garden. I think the rate has recently gone up but i'm happy to be paying what we do. Not sure 20pounds deposit for a key to the site is justified but it is secure which is a massive added bonis! Very very strict rules though but we're just happy to have somewhere to cultivate x
I'm paying £40 p.a. to the Parish Council for nearly under 200 square metres - 77p a week - and that includes water costs (though not much else). Asking for a sight of the water bills so that our new Association can assess the situation as we decide what responsibilities we wish to take on.
Barnet should challenge the Government - Allotments are surely a Community and environmental benefit, even part of Cameron's "Big Society". So why not embarass Cameron and Clegg with an example of how their words aren't being taken seriously by local councils.
Our rents were tripled just before I took on my allotment, but at £40.00 per year, I 'm happy, although the facility provided is basically derelict land.
Rent Rises
tumbledown Posted at 11:26 on Sat, 03/05/2011Allotmenteers across the country are reportedly facing huge rent rises - in some case 30 times the rate of inflation.
Cash-strapped councils are being accused of cashing in on the massive demand for allotments.
The biggest rise so far seems to be in the North London Borough of Barnet where rents have gone up from £110 to £340 per year - 30 times the rate of inflation. The rise will bring the council an extra £14,000 a year.
What is your rent? Is it going up? What do you think of the rises - are they fair?
Let us know by leaving a comment..
Rent
4bFieldHouse Posted at 16:27 on Sat, 03/05/2011Wow, I answered No to the poll, but was thinking to myself that they are incredibly reasonable and it wouldn't matter if they raised a little and then I read the above comment OMG my rent is £17 a year for half a plot and I think it is about £35 for a whole one, this includes water!!!! Our Parish Council is actually running our plots at a loss, we are obviously incredibly lucky compared to some and I understand why some of you are so passionate about it.
Hayley
Isle of Wight
I'm in Haringey in North
shovel Posted at 23:03 on Sat, 03/05/2011I'm in Haringey in North London and I think our rent is about £80 a year but other people on the allotment tell me it might be going up soon. Even if it went up to £100, I still think it would be good value but some people find that hard - especially if they are on a pension.
rents
Brian Price Posted at 09:45 on Sun, 03/06/2011Rents should reflect value for money. Linking them to any arbitrary number crunch statistic is a nonsense. The rent should reflect what the land owners are providing for the rent and what they could achieve otherwise. In putting this point of view I am ignoring all social elements of the debate.
At CYD allotments scheme we enjoy a rent of £25 per half (standard size) plot
with water provided. We are responsible for all the administration and management of the scheme with the landowner providing the land only.
Brian
Allotment rents
Eileen Ryan Posted at 14:09 on Mon, 03/07/2011Here in Harleston, which is a small market town in Norfolk, we pay £52 a year. We feel that this is quite expensive for a non-city location. But the allotments are new and our council say that they had a lot of start-up costs eg legal fees. We were told our rent should go down when these costs have been covered, although three years in, it hasn't happened yet.
Rent
ZoeElizabeth Posted at 20:53 on Mon, 03/07/2011You poor sausages! Rent here in Crawley, West Sussex is around 48 quid for a whole plot including water. 6 years ago it was 26 I think.
Rent Rises
agshepp Posted at 17:19 on Tue, 03/08/2011the annual rent for our plot, Eastleigh, Hampshire, is £20. think it's double that for under 65s.
the rent includes water, toilet facility, and brick-built lock-up communal sheds for those who don't have one of their own on their plot.
the site has an almost vandal-proof fence all around and a padlocked entrance.
no complaints at all! well, maybe a minor one - we're right by the M3, but you just don't notice the traffic noise once you get stuck in.
rises
bob Posted at 18:01 on Thu, 03/17/2011no wa way should these prises rise at this rate.we are not talking about a few pounds but hundreds of pounds and then where will it end;these councils go on at us about the enviriment we veg growers are some of the most enviriment freindly people going and they want to put another tax.cost.rate rise on us. bob
rent increases
Michael1964 Posted at 08:55 on Mon, 05/09/2011Its natural that councils will try to get as much money as possible from allotments in the current crisis, when i had my allotment in Reading 1 of the pensioners said to me how the council had a cheek to put the rent up to £20 per year, my reply was if it meant we had a decent water supply & improvements made it shoud go up to £52 (£1 a week, still cheap) i thought the poor old boy was going to drop down dead with shock, the rent on my current lot in Basingstoke is £18 per year.
Rent rises
healthy marras Posted at 10:49 on Sat, 09/10/2011I am amazed at differences in rent amounts. Ours in Sunderland has risen to £50. We only have water taps here and there and have been told to expevt greater rises. My son pays £24 for a double allotment plus his own tap and he lives in Seaham, Co Durham 10 miles from me. I feel sorry for people in London area.
why not
farmerjohn Posted at 18:11 on Sat, 11/26/2011I currently pay about £21 for my allotment and i find that very cheap just about what you would spend when you go out for a meal....we have been informed that we will have to pay £23 next year...thats not much....
why not
farmerjohn Posted at 18:22 on Sat, 11/26/2011why not
My husband and i are only
jessicafairy Posted at 22:13 on Fri, 12/16/2011My husband and i are only mid.twenties and live in hull. Our rent is 35 a year including water for 250m square which i cant complain at, especially seeing as our house only has a yard and no garden. I think the rate has recently gone up but i'm happy to be paying what we do. Not sure 20pounds deposit for a key to the site is justified but it is secure which is a massive added bonis! Very very strict rules though but we're just happy to have somewhere to cultivate x
Catcliffe Rent
GrahamR1 Posted at 22:40 on Thu, 03/01/2012I'm paying £40 p.a. to the Parish Council for nearly under 200 square metres - 77p a week - and that includes water costs (though not much else). Asking for a sight of the water bills so that our new Association can assess the situation as we decide what responsibilities we wish to take on.
Rent rises
GrahamR1 Posted at 01:01 on Sun, 03/25/2012Barnet should challenge the Government - Allotments are surely a Community and environmental benefit, even part of Cameron's "Big Society". So why not embarass Cameron and Clegg with an example of how their words aren't being taken seriously by local councils.
Our rents were tripled just before I took on my allotment, but at £40.00 per year, I 'm happy, although the facility provided is basically derelict land.