Topic: Small Medium or Large 2

[steve1967]

Hi all,

Last year I asked if any of you were charged for your plots on this basis rather than per sq metre. The results were roughly 50/50.

We have just been billed for 2014 and the council have said from 2015 they will be charging on a small medium and large basis.

SMALL up to 99 sq m  £20   MEDIUM 100 - 149 sq m £30   LARGE 150 + sq m    £45.

I advised my allotment officer last year that I did not agree with this proposal as in my opinion the fairest way was charged per sq metre.

Now that they have decided to push ahead with the new method of charging in 2015 I have resigned myself to the fact it will happen.

What has surprised me most is that they are ceasing OAP discounts (age related as they put it). Many of the plot holders at our site would have received this discount. Many of whom have been there for 30 years or more. I find this extremely unfair as these people would have paid the full rates for many years before qualifying for there well earned discount.

As a result they will be facing a huge % increase. Which I am sure our council will be more than happy with.

I would like to know if any of you have had the same from their local council.

[mormor]

Goodness!  I have just received bill for 2014 allotment - near Copenhagen Denmark.
3100 pounds  for 120 sq.metres, plus one shed, patch of grass, herbacious border and membership of allotment society.  OK maybe incomes are higher here, but so is everything else. 
This year I have decided to try to see how much I save on growing my own vegetables. But I can’t see that it will even out. Even though 150g brussels sprouts cost 3 pounds 50 pence!

[Digeroo]

I agree if you have a plot just above the change level it is rather unfair.  How much do the plots sizes actually vary.

Mormor is your exchange calculation correct.  £3100 is 27835 DKK.  Your sprouts would be £23 a kg (89 DKK) they are £2 here.   (18DKK)

[steve1967]

Digeroo most of the plots are around 250 sq m. I have one that I am paying £21 for this year which is 130 sq m. So next year will be £30. So quite a jump.

[Digeroo]

Sorry to seem unsympathetic. I realise it is a big % increase but I still think it is good value.   We pay £45 for a half plot.

[digmore]

Hi everyone, plots in the St Helens area are calculated at 20p per sq m. Concessions are given to pensioners, unemployed and some benefit claimants.

The 20p rule was brought in last year to even out the plots, some plots 10 pole were £25, while other 10 pole plots where £5. Also it raise monies for the council.

The 20p rule didn't go down well even when the council showed their costings for running the sites under their control, but at the end of the day, "you get nowt for nowt".

Digmore. 

[steve1967]

Digmore, To me to charge per sq m is the fairest way. This is why I cant understand why our council want to move away from this method unless of course its their way of making a quick profit!!

[andyswarbs]

Charging my square metre may sound meritocratic but area isn't everything.  Given the current wet weather, one might argue that if a plot was likely to be flooded then perhaps it might attract a discount? Or you might want to argue that there are trees overhanging or nearby, so that might imply a discount.  Or perhaps you have some intolerable neighbours, so that might imply a discount.

To keep charges down the elephant in the room is council management.  There is nothing wrong with councils, but if they run allotments then their charges will include costs of the salaries of council staff, as well as charges for them to run the allotments professionally.

Our allotments are run as an independent association.  This has one benefit of we make our own rules.  In charging we charge by plot or half plot.  Some plots which are considered unfavourable in some way (eg overhanging trees) get nominal discounts. Also discounts for retired people, while they still exist, are having less value as the years roll by.  One reason for this is that retired people tend to get much better value from plots that people who are working.

[mormor]

Sorry!  A zero too many. It’s 310 pounds! You’re quite right.  And sprouts were 35kr - which is about 3.50punds.  There are about 10 kr to the pound!  But still the price is high!  (But worth it of course)

[digmore]

Steve1967, you may find that your council are bringing your rents in line with the national council forum before they start charging per sq m.

If you go on the St. Helens council web site and follow through all the blurb, they show in graph form what other councils have been charging over the last few years and currently for their allotments.

St. Helens council costed their allotment expenditure at around £103.000 per annum with and income from rents of again approx. £8000.00, a short fall of £95.000. It would be reasonable to expect them to put rents up evenly and fairly, and they did to 20p per sq m. for this last year and forthcoming increases in line with the retail price index. Even with this increase it goes no way near covering the costs of running the allotment sites in the borough.

I would boldly say, that if it was not a statutory requirement for councils to provide allotment sites, no council would provide them at such a negative cost figure. If it was my business I wouldn't, would you.

Steve, have a trawl round your council web site, I think you would be surprised to find out what is in the public domain with regard allotments within your borough.

Digmore 

[steve1967]

Digmore & Andyswarbs thanks for your input. I have asked our allotment officer to give the reasons behind the charging changes.

Looking at previous posts I will admit we compare favourably with some of the charges others around the country have to pay. I am still not convinced changing from meter sq is the right way forward.