Author Topic: Allotment size and cost (Read 10209 times)

LinJack · « **on:** August 29, 2009, 10:26:29 »

Being very new to this, only got our plot in may, I'm a bit concerned that we might be being shortchanged, we have 200sq metres plot is this average and what sort of rent should we be paying

grannyjanny · « **Reply #1 on:** August 29, 2009, 10:36:01 »

Ours is only about 80sq mtrs & we paid £11.50 or £12.50 but that include the key & insurance. We are OAP so got it half price. There is another thread somewhere about how much people pay.

saddad · « **Reply #2 on:** August 29, 2009, 10:41:45 »

Welcome LinJack...
it is very much how long is a piece of string.... :-X

BarriedaleNick · « **Reply #3 on:** August 29, 2009, 11:00:26 »

Well...as usual it depends.
Some people pay as little as a pound for a full sized plot, some people pay a pound per sq meter.
Some private newly created plots can be expensive - some council ones can be very cheap.

See poll and thread here
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,46121.0.html

SMP1704 · « **Reply #4 on:** August 29, 2009, 13:33:10 »

and as allotments are in vogue at present, it may just be a case of smile and be grateful ;D

Digeroo · « **Reply #5 on:** August 29, 2009, 14:07:00 »

Council allotments are very cheap if you can get one. Though I personally believe that this then leads to the fact there are so few available. Councils just do not have the money to subsidize any more. So they are constantly looking for plots for £10 each and never find any.

Quote

what sort of rent should we be paying

We are on a newly created private site and I pay £40 for about 2/3 of a standard allotment size. This includes water and manure (a mixed blessing as it turned out, 98% great). Feel this has not been an unfair price. If I managed to get another cheaper one it would cost me more in petrol getting to it. Paths are mown. Farmer is a very fair type so I believe that this is an fair economic rate. Presume a city site would be more expensive.

Private sites can charge what they like. Its just a case of supply and demand.

Trevor_D · « **Reply #6 on:** August 29, 2009, 14:34:11 »

We're a private site and currently charge £12 for a half-size plot (approx. 30 feet by 40 feet), plus £4 per member for NASLG & insurance, plus a few on-off up-front charges for keys, share, etc. No reductions for wrinklies, etc, but no extra charge for water (on or near every plot).

Sorry - don't do metric!

allaboutliverpool · « **Reply #7 on:** August 29, 2009, 17:27:04 »

With council owned sites, like ours, a rent is charged by the council and the allotment society adds what they need to run the site, including in our case the water.

Ours is about £27 + £17 = £44 for a full sized plot. I get a reduction on that being over 60.

We make a bit of extra selling things in the shop and this year had an open day that raised nearly £300.

Overall it is very cheap at less than a £1 a week and compared with photography, fishing, supporting a football team or even Sky TV, the overall cost is very low.

I have spent £3672 in 4 years including books, magazines, construction, rent, tools etc. And apart from buying a greenhouse this Autumn, my major costs are reducing all the time. ( I also will have produced nearly one and a half tons of produce in those 4 years).

http://www.allaboutallotments.com/index.html

Unwashed · « **Reply #8 on:** August 29, 2009, 18:42:44 »

Hi LinJack

200 sq m (that's 8 poles in allotment-speak) is on the large size. 10 poles was pretty much standard one time, but with allotments being in short supply you're often lucky to get a 5 pole plot - you'd be lucky to get 2 poles at my site.

BAK has done some analysis on rents, but I think around £5.00/pole is average, though as has been said, there's a lot of variation - so I'd not be surprised if your annual rent is somewhere in the £20 - £120 ball-park.

What are you being charged, and what facilities do you get for that?

oliveoyl_25 · « **Reply #9 on:** September 03, 2009, 08:58:19 »

It varies from council to council... there is no set price. I'm in N E Lincs and full plots here are around £80 per year. I've got a 3/5th size and pay £53 inc water.

jimtheworzel · « **Reply #10 on:** September 03, 2009, 13:22:48 »

im in lancashire...my plot is 45 feet by 60 feet....£30...if old codger like me £15...water supplyed...but on the banks of the river ribble, so no shortage of water

jtw

CharlyPickle · « **Reply #11 on:** September 03, 2009, 14:10:25 »

£5 in Tunbridge Wells for a 20m plot :)

shonam · « **Reply #12 on:** September 03, 2009, 22:11:55 »

We've just taken on a plot about 250m2 or so. £30 a year but we don't need to pay till October as thats when they run their year from. No extra charges for water or association membership. We're in Glasgow. :)

slyfox-mal · « **Reply #13 on:** September 05, 2009, 19:58:09 »

have a double plot measureing 15m x45m so thats 675 sq m and i pay £65 per year and water is free so not that bad i think atb mal

Flighty · « **Reply #14 on:** September 05, 2009, 20:13:34 »

Mine's a half plot measuring about 30 by 60 feet which I've had two years and so far not paid a penny! Please don't ask why not as I'm really not sure!

Dadnlad · « **Reply #15 on:** September 05, 2009, 22:21:07 »

Baldock, North Herts
We've got two 10 pole plots, each about 10m x 25m :D and each £56 per year :(
Water laid to a tap at one end, sheds/fruit trees/bees allowed 8), but chronic bunny infestation so supply own fencing >:(
Enthusiastic and hardwoking Commitee :), but workshy, disinterested, spineless local Council >:(

LinJack · « **Reply #16 on:** September 16, 2009, 09:34:09 »

Hi Unwashed
We are at present paying £60a year, £58 of that is going to the landowner (which with 23 plots only leaves the committee £46 to "play" with) we have to pay a local farmer for our water....... we have a huge water butt which he filled for us..... there are no other facilities on the site at all. We are in negotiation with landowner to try try and reduce the rent hopefully we will be successful. We've only had the site since May and most plot holders have worked their a***s off to make it look good. We did get a grant from the council to pay to fence the site so at least we are fairly secure.... well will be once we get the locks fitted......
thanks for the input from yourself and everyone else

kt. · « **Reply #17 on:** September 16, 2009, 21:09:34 »

If you do a search, There are several threads on this topic that go into much more detail. I have 2 plots. one is 65x30ft and the other is 35x110ft. Both are full plots on the same site costing £22 each per year.

Unwashed · « **Reply #18 on:** September 16, 2009, 21:37:38 »

LinJack, if the landowner is getting £1000/acre without providing water or security then I'd say the rent was excessive. I'd reason if the profit the landowner could get from agriculture is around the £150/acre mark in a good year then much more than that is unreasonable, but I'd be interested to see what others think.

You might think about asking the council to look into compulsorily renting or buying the land outright and then leasing it back to you because I have a feeling that the price then gets set to the market rate - but I don't think councils are too keen to use that power (I think county councils have to do it on behalf of parish councils too). It also means the allotments acts apply and the site has much better protection from development.

News:

Author Topic: Allotment size and cost (Read 10209 times)