Topic: Cost of allotment

[sawfish]

I have a private double allotment which costs me £34 a year. We have water, toilets (basic) but dont get anything delivered, it being private.

£200 is ludicrous for a single.

I suppose you could put up with the £200 a year for a couple of years till the council one comes up (put your name down NOW!).

Think of it as a training programme.

[little pud]

frampers, i would tell him where to go, trying to charge that amount, £200!!!!!!! i have two plots which are run by the local parish and i pay £25 per year and that's got water, a loo, parking and a society hut/shed

[Robert_Brenchley]

My site began with a private landowner parcelling lad up to lease. When the first sites opened about 1720, they were let for a guinea a year for 600 square yards. I wonder how it compares?

[Mr Smith]

RB,
        Although I know what a guinea is, could you please explain to the metric minded what  twentyone shillings is all about, :)

[chriscross1966]

RB,
        Although I know what a guinea is, could you please explain to the metric minded what  twentyone shillings is all about, :)
[/quote

It's the old horse tax, when a horse was sold the Crown collected a shilling (12 old pence) for every pound the horse had cost.... this led to the horsey set dealing in guineas as they'd always be able to work out how much horse it represented by turning it directly into pounds...

chrisc

[Robert_Brenchley]

It was a coin originally minted from gold from the Guinea Coast (modern Guinea Bissau, Guinea Conakry, Sierra Leone and Liberia). With flutuations in the value of gold, it came to be worth a little more than its face value of 20 shillings. Until decimalisation, expensive things were often valued in 'guineas', which was a unit of 21 shillings, or £1.05 in toy money. This was, of course, before inflation. A pound was worth something then.

[compost bin]

 i'm new to this forum so hi every body, i have a private allotment on a site in our village, 30 odd years ago the council built a doctors surgery on the allotments so a kind local land owner gave over a paddock behind his farm to the parish for allotments, i dont know what the fees were then but the rent now is £1/100ft²/year and all proceeds go to the spastic society, i have 2200ft² so £22, £200 a year! he's got to be kidding

mike

[manicscousers]

hiya, compost bin, welcome to a4a  ;D

[GlentoranMark]

Without reading all of the above, I've recently aquired a 20 x 5m private plot (100sqm) at £2.20 a sqm meaning I'm paying £220 per year. I've one of the smaller plots on the site and there's no shortage of takers. I feel this is pretty expensive but there's a 10 year council waiting list and there's no other sites nearby. At nearly £4 a week I'm certainly not doing it to save money.

[artichoke]

Private local site, half plot, £8 (mainly because landlord distant and never responds to questions - no water, no mowing)

Parish plot further away, half - £21 and whole £42, water, mowing, rotavating for new plot holders.

More local village plot rented from village hall land - £150 or more (not interested so forget exact sum, but huge)!!! Ploughing offered, stream for bucket dipping.

[minafon]

OK, bearing in mind it is now 2010, and most of these posts were left 1 - 2 years ago, can you all please help us? We mover here 10 years ago from the city. We have 3 acres well off the beaten track, just one road in and one out, the only other way to reach us is over the mountain, and since it kept invaders out, it does the same for vandals & thieves, we can actually leave our doors open and leave stuff outside without any fear. Our neighbours look out for us as we do for them. Our Income shrank seriously 2 years ago when we evenyually bth had to give up work due to ill health and although the income shrunk the outgoings did not. we want to let 2 of our three acres out as Allotments. There is constant water, from stream and stand pipe. Parking. Electricity could be made available although it would have to be reflected in the rent. We could supply a poraloo and tent. Plenty of space for communal compost site, no objection to Chickens and Ducks. We would want to charge £100 per annum, BUT, since none of the land we propse to let is cultivated and we are not able to do it in advance due to ill health, we would be happy to only charge £75 for the first year, this would be excluding Electricity. Also MUST we have Public Liability Insurance? If we do this would have to be reflected in the rent. I thought the person charging £200 per annum in 2008 was over the top, so I am hoping you will all NOT think £2.00 per week too much?/ We do not want to rip off anyone, but do want a sensible income. Not sure if we get notified when a reply has been sent, so please write to our Email address too, if you will? it is cwmhaf@sky.com

[Digindep]

Think we've been here before...but I'll pop me penuth in anyows... ;)
On todays pricing 100 pound a year realy is'nt that steep...basically less than 2 quid a week...now I only pay 25 quid a year per plot x 2....
Now for one plot last year for a total outlay of about 100..possibly less...during the main season I reckon with what I gave away to family and freinds...
took home between 10 & 20 quids worth per week...plus later on the winter vedge...leeks,PSB, sprouts swede ect...
So overall well in pocket....this year with 2 plots....
Total outlay rent, seed ect .....150.00pa....= 3.00 per week..approx
Gains....fruit vedge ect.....say 20 wks@ 15.00 per week
not counting winter vedge...thats 100% profit
Now I'm no accountant...but tell me where you can make such profits, I'll invest.
And on top of all this ...how do you cost the enjoyment, sense of achievement...?

Think about it three pounds a week....cheap hoby...... ;) ;)
Have a great season one and all...happy planting..... ;) ;) ;)

[lincsyokel2]

i think £200 a year is outrageous and unsustainable. Thats £4 a week, you can almost buy all your vegetables for the year for that price, and it doesnt include other expenses such as ferts, compost, hardware (canes, netting).

I wouldnt bother at that price.

[gerkin]

£16 for half plot in essex/london

[Borlotti]

My tennis club subscription is £220 a year and I usually play twice a week, my allotment is cheap about £37 a year I think but I go nearly every day and talk to lovely people, get exercise and fresh air and sometimes vegetables and flowers, so would pay more if I had to.  It also keeps me away from the clothes/shoe shops so the money I spend on seeds etc is not much when I spend £6.40 a day on 20 ciggies.  So it is all relative, if I bought a house with a garden as big as my allotment would have to be a millionaire, so am quite happy.  ;D ;D

[macmac]

our plots are measured linear so we seem to pay more than many of our mates as they have wide plots  :(

[antipodes]

ThinK I have said before, in France, allotments tend to be private associations. Ours is subsided by the council but I pay 70 euros a year, water included. That does not seem excessive to me. Not sure if growing your own veg is really economically viable? I guess in raspberries alone mine pays for itself :)  But 200 pounds seems a lot...

[Digeroo]

I am on a private site rented from a local farmer we pay £80 for a full allotment and £45 for a half.  Though they are a little bigger than the standard 10 rods.  Includes water and pigs to eat the weeds and also manure but that is a mixed blessing since some is contaminated.  Paths are mown, and hedges and fences maintained.

£200 is excessive.  Certainly more than agriculture would produce.

I am not convinced that it is cheaper growing veg than buying it.  But I get huge quantities of really fresh veg of large variety.  I love having an allotment.

Certainly with bean canes, raspberry plants, strawberry plants, netting, fleece and seeds  :P  it all adds up.  If there is no alternative I suppose that you have to pay.

The biggest problem is that if the going commercial rate for allotment rises to this kind of figure there will be pressure for the local authorities to raise their charges to match.

[Cookieka]

This would be quite normal for a private plot in N Ireland.  On average Council plots are 25 to 50 pounds but private providers will charge £200 plus (because they can!). 

[germinator]

Hi everyone.
                    My allotment is situated in noth east england,which according to the local newspaper,is one of the largest in england,over 350 plots
 the site is council owned,but run by an elected management commitee,the site fee is  £50 per year,i have two plots,so costing me £100 per year.
 the reason for two plots is a few years ago ,anyone could have had a plot as they were all like jurassic park.
 Now you cannot get one.there is a 5 year waiting list,because they have become " fashionable" the thirtysomethings in four wheel drives in shades, with kids strapped in like test pilots have taken over. ;D However never mind, if you like the plot pay the money,as you say they are hard to get hold of,take a chance,life is too short.I  would pay it as my allotment,apart from family IS my life,and i spend all my spare time there.
whatever you decide i wish you all the best.