Topic: rent increase 2011

[jools]

hi. in nottingham, we have had notice that our allotment will be quadrupled by the end of 2012. this seems an excessive increase to me but i may be wrong. as a matter of interest, what are other areas paying in rent across the country?

[BAK]

Jools,

you do not say what your rent currently is ... and for what size of plot.

Rents vary quite widely across the country.

However, there have been periodic private surveys conducted by A4Aers and indeed by people on other forums. The common finding in recent years seems to be that the average rent is between £4 and £5 per pole.

In the current financial climate it looks as if many councils are looking hard at costs, including the costs of running allotments. There are indications that there is a trend towards removing any subsidies which plot holders have previously enjoyed which could result in significant increases in rent. This of course will beg the question of whether councils will offer value for money.

[tonybloke]

Jools,

you do not say what your rent currently is ... and for what size of plot.

Rents vary quite widely across the country.

However, there have been periodic private surveys conducted by A4Aers and indeed by people on other forums. The common finding in recent years seems to be that the average rent is between £4 and £5 per pole.

In the current financial climate it looks as if many councils are looking hard at costs, including the costs of running allotments. There are indications that there is a trend towards removing any subsidies which plot holders have previously enjoyed which could result in significant increases in rent. This of course will beg the question of whether councils will offer value for money.

perhaps this is the time for more councils to encourage devolved management of allotments?

[Ellen K]

Hi - I rent my plot from Charnwood BC and they seem to be ramping up the rent by 10% pa.  Currently I pay £40 for 300 sq yards but that includes water and a skip service.

I think rents in Nottingham are about the same as Charnwood.

I read that Nottingham CC are increasing the charges by 20%/year over the next 5 years so the rents will treble in that time.  I guess the councils are short of dosh and trying to squeeze as much as they can but this seems wildly excessive unless they can produce some numbers that say these costs are realistic (water bill, maintenance of access roads and fencing etc).

There are a few threads about allotment rents on this site which you may want to read.  Nottingham are going through a consultation so at least you have a chance to speak up.

And as Tony says, self management is worth a look (threads about that on this site too).

[BAK]

I entirely agree tonybloke.

[jools]

the plot is 350 square yards and includes water. no skip. and works out at just over £37 per year. the increase will take it to over  £102 per year. not quadruple i now realise (-got confused with rods/poles and metres) but still a mighty steep increase.
there is a consultation period but nottm city council will almost certainly choose to ignore it as they ignore all public consultations.
i  will protest, i just wanted to guage what was happening elsewhere. many thanks for comments so far

[Chrispy]

According to their website, you won't be paying that till 2016

http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=23873&p=0
On page 7 of the 8.

[cornykev]

Thats about a 175% rise.      :o :o :o

[jimtheworzel]

im on penwotham holme in preston lancashire we pay £45 a year for a 40 x 60 foot plot
this includes grass cutting, 4 skips a year and water stand pipes.
i think its good value at the price, where could i get healthy hobby for this price

JIM

[Ellen K]

I would ask the Council for a justification of why the rents need to rise by so much.

For instance, 4 skips a year for a medium size site isn't very much.  We have about 40 plots and 20 skips a year  :o :o :o so our rent has to rise by quite a bit to even cover that.  Water bill aren't generally as much as you might think (compared to a domestic bill) because you only pay for the water in, not the drainage and disposal costs.

Must admit, I would challenge it Jools.  It's a big increase.

[Trevor_D]

I've been trying to persuade Council sites in our Borough to look at self-management.

We're totally independent - a different position, I agree - but we charge £32 for a 40 by 60 foot plot and have water butts on or near every plot. Only one skip a year - if we can afford it - and grass-cutting has to be done by ourselves, although we provide both machines & petrol. And we've got a car park and a composting toilet, have regular supplies of manure - from our on-site stables - wood chip and pallets.

But - unlike the Council - we have no salary bill! We just muck in and do-it-ourselves.

(As a matter of interest DV, how do 40 of you manage to fill 20 skips a year?)

[Ellen K]

^^ that is a very interesting Q.  Without doubt, we don't compost anything like as much as we could.  But it is also clear that a lot of the stuff in the skips does not originate from the plots.

[Ellen K]

The other thing that is punishing us on the rent is that the Council consider the total income from the rents but when I look round our site, many plot holders are paying half price, either because they are of retirement age or they have registered their plot in the name of a relative who qualifies for the reduction.  So the full price rent has to go up by a lot more than it might if everyone paid the same.  Bad news if you are one of the fools paying the full rent.

So I must admit I was please to see Nottingham try to equalise this.  Particularly the business of saying that tenants renting several plots can only have a reduction on one plot

[Trevor_D]

We all pay the same price, regardless. What with the retired, unemployed and disabled, only a handful would be paying the full whack!

[saddad]

We all pay the same price, regardless. What with the retired, unemployed and disabled, only a handful would be paying the full whack!

I agree... as treasurer for a decade I always countered any suggestions of discounts by sayin the retired should pay more as they had more time to benefit from holding an allotment...  ::)

[cornykev]

We have one skip a year and thats plenty, your council don't seem to be encouraging you to recycle if they are laying on that many skips a year.    :( :( :(

[kt.]

It appears to be that sites managed by councils pay much higher fees than those self managed in the majority of cases.  We are self managed and this keeps our bills down drastically. 

Since taking over as allotment supervisor 2 years ago I have reduced the number of skips as rules state plotholders are responsible for removing their own waste generated from their plot.  We have 2, occasionally 3 skips per year for 150 plot holders and this is ample.  One at the start of spring,  the other in Oct/Nov. 

We paid £500 from our budget on a bushcutter and I cut the edge of paths 3-4 times annually. Saves paying the council to come and do it.  After being cut once it has paid for itself and it is not loaned out as expensive tools were previously being taken off site and used by certain individuals for business purposes.   Other plotholders mow the grass on paths around the site.  All cuts costs to keep rents down and we have already agreed that rents will not rise when due in October.

[Robert_Brenchley]

All the sites in Birmingham pay the same, depending on the size of the plot, and self-managed ones get part of the rent back to provide a fund for the association. The only drawback is that the council are getting ever more controlling about how we spend it.

[gp.girl]

SKIPs..... :'( :'( :'(

Not even getting manure from the council this year  ::)

Then again they won't be putting the rent up that much either  :)

[tonybloke]

I would ask the Council for a justification of why the rents need to rise by so much.

For instance, 4 skips a year for a medium size site isn't very much.  We have about 40 plots and 20 skips a year  :o :o :o so our rent has to rise by quite a bit to even cover that.  Water bill aren't generally as much as you might think (compared to a domestic bill) because you only pay for the water in, not the drainage and disposal costs.

Must admit, I would challenge it Jools.  It's a big increase.

how are your tenants filling half a skip each, per year, with stuff from the allotment? or are they bringing stuff to the site just to dump it? if so, they better have a waste-carriers license!!