Allotments 4 All

Hi and a Happy New Year to you all. Just wanted to know what rent you pay for your plots and the size of plots. We have new allotments down here in Hampshire, between Winchester and Southampton in a village called Fair Oak. 2009 was our first year and we've had to contend with blue clay, waterlogged plots and couch grass(ongoing). For this we are charged £40 p.a. We only have water on site. Most of the plots are approx 11 yds x 13 yds. We did hear that the Parish Council are looking to increase the costs for 2010, so hence the question. Regards Brian

Hi Brian, it's £4.71/pole in Newbury.  Your £8.63 is on the expensive side.

What you, or rather what your council need to remember is that since the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contract Regulations 1999 it has been unlawful for a landlord to arbitrarily increase the rent, and you need to be given 12 months notice of the increase.  Your council really ought to be aware of this, but in case they're not you might want to mention it to them.  If they ignore you and increase the rents arbitrarily without notice you need to complain to Trading Standards who will enforce the regulations, much to the public embarassment and humiliation of the council.

The council might just be OK if they made it their policy to increase rents by some objective standard like RPI (currently about 1% I think), but they still need to give you adequate notice - enough notice for a tenant to decide they don't want to pay the increase and serve their own notice to terminate the lease - how long exactly depends on the tenancy agreeent, but it' almost certainly 12 months.

For statutory allotments there's also the requirement of S.10 of the 1950 Act that allotments shall be let at such rent as a tenant may reasonably be expected to pay.  What constitutes reasonable is down to a judge's interpretation, but I suggest when the agricultural rent is less than 70p/pole then more than ten times that is not remotely reasonable, given that the allotmenteer has her allotment to grow fruit and veg to feed her family and she'd do better going down the supermarket at that rent.

Depends where you live and who owns them really, such a difference in rents.  This previous thread should answer your question, 5 pages of what people pay for plots:

http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,37173.0.html

That thread is more than two years old now.  It would be useful to know the current rate - £/pole.

£37 for 10 pole.

Ours is set to be £2 per rod for this year (2010)  plus £6 for water (if available, not all of our sites have water) plus another £3 for admin (includes NSALG dues)

So, for a  ten rod plot, with water and admin = £29 for the year ;)

Quote from: Unwashed on January 01, 2010, 17:36:52
That thread is more than two years old now.  It would be useful to know the current rate - £/pole.

go on then!! what are you paying?

I haven't received my invoice for this year yet, will probably come in the next couple of weeks!

Last year I paid £19 for two 60' x 30' plots.

I believe as a pensoner I get them at 'half price' so at that rate I would say our plots are £19 pa

I thought mine was a bit expensive I reckon that it works out at about 6.75 a rod, but includes water and manure.  On a private site.  But a gorgeous position, beautiful views.  Worth every penny.

We have charged £30 a year for ages (about  7years) and as the treasurer I was against increasing the cost from £20 per year.


This year we have a surplus of funds and I am asking members for ideas on what to spend the surplus on.


The increase from £20 a year to £30 was proposed by a member who is a good friend of some one who hates me being in control of the money because I refuse to allow claims for 'expenses'  such as driving to council meetings ( we do not need to)  and going on to the plot to open the gates for a third party. (especially when a member who lives a short walk away offered to do it for nothing .......There is no reason for any one to have expenses to the extent was being claimed before I was appointed.

We have to cover all costs ourselves such as water and insurance we get no subsidy at all and indeed do not expect any.  We enjoy our digging and planting and are happy to pay the fee in place which adequately covers all the costs.


I am delighted to know that there are societies who can do it cheaper but ours is a very small site. Meaning there are fewer people to contribute.

Some allocated council plots offer subsidies for Disabled/Elderly members.

We have decided that if a member is not productive they leave. 

Quote from: Unwashed on December 31, 2009, 23:32:23
Hi Brian, it's £4.71/pole in Newbury.

I pay £4.71/pole Tony. ;)

Quote from: Unwashed on January 01, 2010, 20:10:22

Quote from: Unwashed on December 31, 2009, 23:32:23
Hi Brian, it's £4.71/pole in Newbury.

I pay £4.71/pole Tony. ;)

oops< missed that, soz!!

Hi PurpleHeather

How big a plot do you get for £30 - I want to get in £/pole for comparison.

ours is now 22p per sq metre, all the plots seem to be different sizes, ours turns out at 44.00 per year..the minimum payment is 10.00 per year, some people just have 3 or 4 beds so this seemed to be the best solution  ;D
for that, we have a fully paved site, water, manure, lime, plus a communal big shed with tea and coffee making facilities, communal conservatory that leaks, we are in the process of getting a communal greenhouse and anyone who doesn't have their own polytunnel has12' in the big one  :)
sorry, just seen you want it in price/pole, can't figure that but ours is 36'x59'

Quote from: Unwashed on January 01, 2010, 17:36:52
That thread is more than two years old now.  It would be useful to know the current rate - £/pole.

Though it is 2 years old,  it still gives a starting point for ideas of minimum prices expected to pay but obviously rents will be a little dearer today. 

We do not charge per pole or rod, but per plot or half plot. £22 full and £11 half plot.  I have 2 plots both different sizes but the same rents. One is 35x110ft and the other is 35x60ft.

Bit confused when I said per rod I meant per pole.

On our site the charges are as follows:-

                                                     Full                    Over 60
Mini plot      (up to 100 sq.yds)    £12                      £6

Small           (101 to 200 sq.yds)  £22                      £11

Standard     (201 - 400 sq.yds)    £28                      £14

We've just increased ours to £13 for a 5-pole plot. I make that £2.60 per pole/rod/perch/whatever. Plus a £4 supplement per member - regardless of how much land they rent - for NSALG & insurance. Water is included free.

ktlawson, are your plots full or half plots.

Don't worry about converting to £/pole if you don't know - if you say how big and how much I'll do the math, and I'll post a summary in a bit.

Thanks to all of you who replied. I will sit down properly and take note of the relevant information.