Topic: fightin council over 133% increase!!!

[wildcherry]

Hello all
This year our town council increased our rents  >:(
-from £30 - £70 full plot 133% increase
-from£25.50 - £45 half plot 76% increase
-From£21 - £30 full plot oap 43% increase
-From£19 - £25 half plot oap 32% increase
these include random water charges. we have no facilities apart from the occasional water trough.
Many of us have refused to pay their full charges and have just given them last years rental plus 5% to cover inflation.
We have now set up an allotment association and  have looked at their income/expenditure and  found that they have charged us for things not associated with the allotment site. We are tying to get the council to back down but this is proving difficult.   have any of you out there had a problem with your council?  We have got till 22 aug to pay the remaining amount or they will take over our plot!!  :'(

[Old bird]

Hello Wild Cherry!

Sorry to hear about rent increases - although I personally am not against rents rising a bit the large plot increase is a bit too dramatic I think!

If you try just to give them the amount of inflation - be careful because they will backdate that back to the year dot and you may end up paying even more!

I have always said that if you have to pay - say £70 - that is just over £1 per week which isn't even a half a pint of beer.  And if people have to pay a sensible sum they are less likely to abuse the plot or neglect it. If something is too cheap like £30 per year the plots will not necessarily be properly valued!
Sorry and good luck with your battle!

Old Bird

[Borlotti]

I think that because I am so old and live in the district I get a discount from the Council.  I think it is 62 1/2 so that does not discrimate against men and women.  I will just look it up, probably about £40 + which I think is good value, although maybe it will go up next year.  Just looked up my cheque book, £32 last year in July for a full plot and £42 a month for hair, £220 a year for tennis subscription.  If I bought a house with all that land it would cost me thousands.  Don't tell anyone allotments are so cheap or everyone will want me.  Go there almost everyday to relax, apart from the veg that I get.  I am well happy, great value for money I think.  A packet of cigs is £5.70, I know I shouldn't smoke.

[Barnowl]

I'm interested that there appears to have been malfeasance. I dare say you could make a meal of this, report them to the police etc, but would it perhaps be better to express the view that you are aware mistakes have been made in charging but you understand how difficult it must be to keep everything absolutely in order and that you hope they will be equally understanding in deciding the rent increases?

[keef]

Depends on what you get for your money - some sites cut grass, provide manure, storage sheds, security (ie proper fences, locked gates). All we get is a tap, thats it - one tap for 20 plotters. But our rent is only £10 per year (it was only £5 until last year).

[Barnowl]

PS I meant to add that if the council 1 have been over-allocating costs to the allotments then presumably they have calculated an overstated rent.

[Borlotti]

We are so lucky, get free wood chip, compost.  The Council cut the grass borders.  We have lockers, and toilets that flush, although they can be a bit leaky and smelly.  We have plenty of water tanks near to our plots.  I can complain about most things but think my allotment is great value for money.  The Council even cut the trees, that border the allotments, ie willow that gets too big, but it doesn't take long to grow back.  It is good shelter when it is raining.

[Derek]

Just a question....are they trying to force you into a self management scheme?

[wildcherry]

Thankyou for all your replies.
 At first we thought they wanted to price us off the land so they could use it for building but when questioned about it they denied this. I dont think they are trying to force us into a self management scheme although we wouldnt mind this as we could run it efficiently. We are tying to get a meeting with them but they are not playing ball! :(

[kt.]

The plot is worth what people are willing to pay.  If 90% of plot holders pay what they are asking you may find they do not renew your contract next year - and offer it to somebody on the waiting list who is willing to  pay the new fees.  Have you checked neighbouring sites to see what amenities they get compared to you, and at what price?

[wildcherry]

yes, most are cheaper apart from one in the same council who had a abnormal rise last year. No facilities there either, as far as i know.  I expect to have an increase each year but it needs to be fair. In our case tenants with 1/2 a plot pay over half and OAPs with a full plot pay less than a 1/2 plot.  ???Its all too random.  I just hope we can work with the council amicably to sort it all out!

[Barnowl]

The plot is worth what people are willing to pay.  If 90% of plot holders pay what they are asking you may find they do not renew your contract next year - and offer it to somebody on the waiting list who is willing to  pay the new fees.  Have you checked neighbouring sites to see what amenities they get compared to you, and at what price?

Surely to use market forces to price allotments out of some people's reach is the antithesis of what allotments are meant for?

[kt.]

Surely to use market forces to price allotments out of some people's reach is the antithesis of what allotments are meant for?

And I Totally agree.  Allotments should be available to all. 

[Kea]

Our plots are going up from £15.45 to £25. Most of the tenants don't know the joyful news yet or that there will be a new contract to sign. I'm on the allotment Comittee and we met with council members recently to discuss the new contract which I only got a look at properly after the meeting and several things were not discussed at it one of those was the rent increase.
I wouldn't be to worried but personally I'm not getting anything more for my money. I still have the same very long walk to the water while our allotment chairman can now reach a bucket over his fence to a new trough! More allotments are going in in front of me and I suspect the next new trough will favour them.
However even though I have no income I still fell that £25 is value for money but I would be pretty shaken if faced by your increase Wildcherry. I would want something extra.....we don't even have solid ground to park on currently in winter if it's wet or a fence to stop intruders.