Topic: Greenwich Council Increasing Plot Rents

[ConfusedRhubarb]

lol :D
one may consider you for one's birthday honours list

[Senex]

Hi
I read somewhere that rents are supposed to be such as can be reasonably expected for the tenant to pay - which is vague at best.  Also when rent is increased aren't the tenancies automatically stopped, like council house tenancies in that case?  You renew your tenancy and pay, or not and leave then.  Does anyone know?

I suppose it depends too on what rent means: if it is just for the land, or if you get services like water, mowing the paths, manure, ploughing. rubbish removal, fencing and fence and gate maintenance thrown in? Water I once heard they cannot charge for if they are reselling it (that I was told would be illegal), but they could cover water charges and no more - so worth asking?

I think local councils are more or less out of control.  Judicial proceedings can be fought against you at the tax payers expense with well-feed barristers, and you may have to sell your house to meet their costs if you lose.

Perhaps the new Localism Bill will let us take over services from them?

[GreenwichGardener]

At the last 'consultation' meeting, the Council representative promised to write to all plotholders to advise them of the proposed increase.  We're now in March, the rent is due in April.......and I've received precisely nothing from the Council.  If I hadn't picked up the news via a local blog, I'd still be none the wiser about what's going on.

Time to write a very stiff letter to the Council!   Not that they will take any notice.  I contacted my local councillor a few weeks ago and had the most pathetic reply which didn't address any of the points I'd made and was about as useful as a chocolate teapot.

Sadly there doesn't seem to be a united campaign against the proposals.  As I've said before, it's not something I can lead myself due to conflict of interest but I'd have happily helped out if someone else had got something up and running.  This really doesn't bode at all well for the Council's suggestion that we all go self-managed: if we can't organise a protest campaign, how on earth are we ever going to run our own sites?  People obviously don't have the time/skills/willingness to take on a bit of responsibility even when it's in their own interests.  It's a huge shame.

Does anyone know who the council representative was who promised to write to all plotholders at the second consultation meeting? I am attending the cabinet meeting tomorrow evening and have asked to speak and have been advised that the chair, Councillor Brookes, will allow me to do so, thus it would be useful to know who broke their promise. I have also asked for a number of questions and comments I have made about the proposed charges to be circulated to all cabinet members.

[ConfusedRhubarb]

hi- the name is Ms Frances Dolan, Director of Culture and Community Services

I asked Cllr Fahy if they would send all plotholders the notes of the first meeting, financial information (they hadn't given us), and notice of the date of the next meeting.
Cllr Fahy was quite eager to say yes, turned to Ms Dolan and said "Frances can we do that?"
She said that they could, and specified that it would be early the following week.

In the event they sent the info out 3 1/2 weeks later, barely in time for the meeting, and only to one person per site - ie only 18 out of the 770 they had promised.

good luck tomorrow night

[johnlawrence84]

i have attended all three "so called council consultation"meetings.
what has been acheived, nothing.the council has ridden roughshod
over the allotmenteers of greenwich.they have done precisely what
they said they were going to at the first meeting.
there are,we are told 770 allotments,in greenwich.the most attended
the second meeting,this was approx. 25 allotmenteers present.
the council claim they have consulted everybody properly.this is not the case.
the only step left to us is to approach the ombudsman.
several people at the parkview/southwood allotments are going to give up.
it is all very sad.
          john lawrence

[zaz283]

Hi EnglishRose... you might find the link below will help. It relates the successful outcome of our battle with the Town Council and how we approached it, and has been quoted in The Times and on BBC1. Hope it helps, John

http://allotmentheaven.blogspot.com/2010/11/increase-in-allotment-rents.html