sharing allotments

[dancingdogfish]

Hi, my husband has rented a charity allotment for about 10 years. The yearly rent for 10 pole is £5. this coming year the committee have decided that a lease holder, even if old or disabled, is not allowed to let anyone else cultivate a part of his/her allotment, unless they also pay the £5 yearly fee. Can they charge differing rental for the same amount of land ? Surely where someone is sharing an allotment with a friend, so that it is kept clean and tidy, this is better for all.
This is going to mean that somebody that has 2 or 3 plots next to each other because they are growing crops to sell, is going to pay £15 which is £5 per 10 pole plot, and the person that shares, is going to have to pay the same amount for a 1/2, or 1/3 of a plot.
Can the committee do this, as the people sharing have already got crops in the ground ?
New rent starts 1st Sep.
Any advice or comments welcome.   

[dancingdogfish]

[Borlotti]

I am confused.  £5 a year is cheap, anyone can help on the allotment, especially if the allotment holder is old or disabled.  The whole point of allotments is not to get cheap land to grow produce to sell, but just for own use, or the family, friends to eat the produce.  My allotment is approximately £40 a year, less for OAP which I still think is cheap but not allowed to sell produce.  If I had to buy that land in London I could not afford it.  I am sure the Council would love to sell the plots for houses but at present I have got a lovely big allotment, very cheap.

[Barnowl]

It does seem wrong. If anything  it would make more sense to levy an increased charge for those who are selling their produce.

[dancingdogfish]

Borlotti,
Yes £5 is cheap, but whether £5 or £50, what I am saying is it is unfair for for 1 plot to cost twice as much as another for the same amount of land !!
 

[Borlotti]

I agree with you.  I don't understand it either, write a letter then they have to answer it with an explanation, (hopefully).  Anyhow good luck.

[kenkew]

Can't see how the council can charge 'a friend' for give a helping hand.

[cornykev]

It doesn't sound right to me, but who's to prove anyone is helping, and I wish I payed £5.  ;D ;D ;D