Topic: £160 for a plot!

[caroline7758]

Hope this isn't a sign of things to come! More to the point, I hope my council isn't looking at what their near neighbours are doing!
http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/latest-news/top-stories/south-leeds-gardeners-digging-in-over-rent-rise-plan-1-5367524

[Digeroo]

Yikes.  This is very expensive.  I can understand that they want to reduce the £130 per plot subsidy, what I have yet to understand is what the £130 is spent on,  especially since this does not seem to include water.

I do think that allotment societies should have a right to self management if this will keep costs down for the members.   

[bluecar]

Hello Caroline.

We self manage our site on less than £20 per plot and that includes water and rent. I would also be wary of the LDGF taking over, as again, you will be paying for jobs - however self management assumes you have people who are willing to undertake the management of the site for nothing or a small honorarium.

There has been a successful appeal against such increases when they have not been in line with other leisure activity increases that the council have agreed.

You may want to explore that further.

Regards

Bluecar

[kt.]

Ouch!  Could be a hidden agenda to price people out of allotments then say they are not being used so they can sell the land for building on...... or am I just being a cynic

[geof]

Worth reading this: http://www.baf.me.uk/legal.html

In particular this part:

"...as allotments are a recreational amenity, the rent increases must be in line with increases applied to other recreational amenities provided by the council. The Council cannot by law raise rents of allotment holders in isolation of other recreational amenities. This is discriminatory practice and is UNLAWFUL.

If you have time to spare, please read the transcript of the judgment in Harwood v Reigate & Banstead Borough Council." http://www.baf.me.uk/harwood.pdf

[Digeroo]

Came across this from Tandridge.  They say that they are not going to subsidise allotments and are putting their charges up to £63.00 per plot.  So why does it cost £160 in North Leeds.

http://www.tandridge.gov.uk/faq/faq.htm?mode=20&pk_faq=566

[Deb P]

I really fail to understand what the £130,000 'subsidy' is for! Part must be for an administrator for four sites, but I cannot believe that would amount to more than £30k  for a full time officer and that is being generous....so what is the rest for?

[Digeroo]

It is probably the estimated admin charge/legal fees for handling all the complaints about putting the price up to £160.

[bluecar]

£130,000 subsidy together with £38 per plot income over 97 sites must come to a considerable amount of money. At just an average of 25 plots per site that brings the cost to £225,000. Leeds City Council need to explain just why these costs are justified not just hike up the rent.

Regards

Bluecar

[Jeanbean]

Am I dreaming or do council not have to give 12 months notice of propsed rent increse or does this only apply to change in tenancy agreements?

It seems totally unfair to increse rents by so much as a lot of plot holder grow their own as they can't afford shop prices for organically grown veg.

[BAK]

I am not sure why we are discussing this when there is nobody from Leeds on here complaining ... at least not so far!!

The sums look a bit strange to my untutored eye. I would be asking for a breakdown of the total costs plus details of all assumptions that have been used, e.g. there may be a total parks and gardens cost and the allotment element may just be assumed to be x% of that?? Who knows.

Self-management, in some form, is surely the way forward for most sites and councils.