Topic: Cost of Birmingham's allotments

[Unwashed]

Squash just posted a link to the new scale of charges scheduled for Birmingham City Council's allotments over the next three years.  See here:  http://bdacallotments.webs.com/news.htm

Am I right in thinking that a 10 pole plot would be Standard, and that standard currently costs around £30?

I can see that it's a bit of a shock to know that rents will be more than doubling, but I have to applaud BCC for being upfront about it.

Simon Baddeley makes an intelligent support of the increase, and although I still believe strongly that allotments are a common good, I also agree that it's not healthy for allotmenteers to be so heavily subsidised, especially when non-allotmenteers are so often excluded from allotment sites by locked gates.  As it is I don't see that BCC's rates are going stratospheric.  At £75 for a standard plot in 2013 that's certainly up there, but hardly unaffordable, certainly not when pensioners get their half price.

But I don't entirely agree with Simon.  Allotments aren't just a hobby, they are essentially where we grow veggies, and it's right and reasonable that you should be able to grow your veggies a lot cheaper than buying them in the super market, and that means allotments have to be pretty cheap. 

I see self-management as the answer to both problems.  How about you guys putting a bid together to manage all the sites.

[ACE]

Less than £1.50  a week, I must see that amount in coppers lying on the streets where people cannot be bothered to pick their dropped change.

I can of beer, 5 cigarettes, a loaf of bread, a bag of peanuts and thats all it is, peanuts.

Stop moaning we have all been spoiled by low rents.

[Sinbad7]

You'd not get all that for £1.50 Ace, probably just the bread and peanuts.

I was wondering how much I'd be willing to pay for a plot and how much other's would too.  I'd definitely pay £100 per plot now, that's for a full sized one.  I don't have a plot to save me money on growing my own stuff but I'm sure I do save some, my main purpose for having a plot is pure pleasure, I love the hard work of it I love the challenge of it I love the fascination of what I can grow from a seed I love the creepy crawlies I even love the challenge of the weeds and all the different things it throws up every year.  But I more than love the just sitting listening to the birds and looking at the sky and gazing into my pond and watching all the wildlife doing their own things all around me.  A whole different world that we can sit and watch that's going on all around us.

I don't have any other outside hobby so no club costs sports costs special clothes for anything else I did, so £100 seems cheap to me for getting something out of a plot that to me money couldn't buy.

Of course I have enjoyed my cheap hobby but there comes a time when you have to be realistic and realise we are in the 21st century and things aint just what they used to be.

[Lisa-BDAC]

As I had noted a lot of traffic from your website to mine yesterday, I decided to come and take a look and see what was happening.  Now I know it is all about the rent increases for Birmingham Allotments.

In answer to your above point, may I note that Birmingham Council are not allowing any sites to go 'self-managed' anymore - there are currently about 15 sites who are self-managed. The outlook for self-managed sites at the moment is looking better with the rent increases. But with extra money comes extra responsibilities for these sites.  I think it is also farily obvious as to why they do not want any more sites to go 'self-managed'.

I look forward to getting to know you all, this is a fabulous site!

[Unwashed]

Hello Lisa, welcome to A4A.

Sorry, it's to completely obvious to me, can you spell out the implications for Birmingham's self-managed sites and why others are not allowed the opportunity to self-manage?

[Lisa-BDAC]

The self management agreement is currently under review by the Allotments Working Party, but the word is that there will be no 'major' changes made.  But, the city insist there is a need for greater accountability for self managed sites, eg at this present time, sites are allowed to retain 60% of collected rents, which is split into two chunks of 30%, with the first going to repairs and the second to 'benefit' the site.  Self-managed sites have to produce accounts for the 'repairs' account to show the city how the money is being spent. They are now saying they want accounts for the second 30%.  The concerns about this are, if city feel the money is not being spent 'correctly (in their opinion only) they could withdraw the 30% completely or ask for partial refunds.  This would put pressure on what is essentially, a voluntarily run committee. At present the bulk of that 30% is currently taken up by site insurance as Self-Managed sites have to take out insurance, whereas non self managed site it is voluntary.

The council have blocked any more self managed sites purely because they want the profit for themselves to help boost the current shortfall in the repairs budget. At present, it is almost impossoble to get work done with the city only paying for emergency repairs.  Here's hoping the rent increases will increase the repairs budget in the future, though we have not had any indication of this. Currently, the water bill for allotments is approx 4 x higher than rent collected and is currenty heavily subsidised by council tax payers.

Hope this helps

[shirlton]

Hello Lisa and welcome to A4A. I am sure that you will soon feel at home here. My hubbie Tony and myself have a plot at Court Lane Erdington. Because we are pensioners and are eligible for a reduction we don't have a problem with the rent increase. We get a lot of enjoyment and excercise, not forgetting the beautiful fresh produce from our allotment, so well worth the money.
We might think differently if we were youngerI suppose. The rent increase will probably affect multiplot holders more than the folks with one plot.

[tonybloke]

Currently, the water bill for allotments is approx 4 x higher than rent collected and is currently heavily subsidised by council tax payers.

why don't the council pass on the cost of water to the tenants? then perhaps folk would use less drinking water for crops, and collect more rainwater for use on their plots ;)

[Squash64]

Currently, the water bill for allotments is approx 4 x higher than rent collected and is currently heavily subsidised by council tax payers.

why don't the council pass on the cost of water to the tenants? then perhaps folk would use less drinking water for crops, and collect more rainwater for use on their plots ;)

We encourage people to collect rainwater from their sheds and greenhouses but not everyone has one on their plot.  I think that if the council charged tenants for water then many people would think "I'm paying for it, I'll use as much as I want" and the bills would go sky-high.

[Digeroo]

The 4x water bills sound sky high already.  If I was a Birmingham tax payer I would not be best pleased.  Especially since you have not seen this years bill yet.   :o

[Len]

It makes me think that something is wrong with our allotment site we are privately run and charge £17 a year we have a shop that is cheap, but that stops no moans, we have regular work partys (for the few), have gained a lot of grant funding, dug water wells, fenced the site, and proberly have the greatest amount of disgruntled and plot holders in the area the most of whome think the rent is too high, if we charged anything near the proposed Birmingham price we would have a mass uprising must be the water. take a look at our site link below I would apreciate your comments.

http://internationalallotments.co.uk/

[Digeroo]

I am very interested in your slide show about wells.  Can you start another thread?

[Len]

If i can help you in any way no problem you start it and I will take part
len

[tonybloke]

Currently, the water bill for allotments is approx 4 x higher than rent collected and is currently heavily subsidised by council tax payers.

why don't the council pass on the cost of water to the tenants? then perhaps folk would use less drinking water for crops, and collect more rainwater for use on their plots ;)

We encourage people to collect rainwater from their sheds and greenhouses but not everyone has one on their plot.  I think that if the council charged tenants for water then many people would think "I'm paying for it, I'll use as much as I want" and the bills would go sky-high.

yes, and they'd have to pay for more!!

[Old bird]

At last!  A thread that is being sensible about the rising cost of rents, and plot owners realising the value of what they have got and not miserying about an increase in the rent and I think that  would not buy a loaf of bread as well as a packet of peanuts, just the bread with a few coppers change!!!

Yes we allotmenteers are a lucky lot - we do have work on our hands but we also have the facility to really enjoy the outdoors (despite all weathers) and the best freshest produce that is possible.  I am very happy to see people appreciating what we have rather than moaning about the odd £1 or so a week increase.

Old Bird

 ;D

[cornykev]

I'm probably one of the top ten rent payers on this forum and still think it is cheap, work it out weekly then think about what you can get for your money else where.    ;D ;D ;D

[cornykev]

Maybe I should have kept stoom, I can feel a rent poll coming on. :-X
PS if Enfield council are are looking on, I think my rents far too high and any rise will be met with Borlotti and myself chaining ourselves to the civic centre, naked if the need arises.      :o :o :o    :P :P :P      :-* :-* :-*     ;D ;D ;D

[Borlotti]

If they put the rents up I will have to start selling punnets of blackberries or making up packets of Rosemary, sage etc.  ;D ;D ;D  Actually it won't affect me too much cause I get a reduction cause I am retired (or retarded as OH says).  Think my allotment has paid for itself this year in courgettes and beans. Seriously a small increase would be reasonable as we do get free wood chip and compost and water butts and the main paths are cut/mowed.  A large increase and Kev and I will be chained outside the Civic Centre, but not naked.

[cornykev]

Go on then I'll keep my socks on.   :P :P :P   

[shirlton]

Party pooper ;D