Fair Allotment Rent

[donnakebab]

What does everyone consider to be a fair rent for an allotment?

Mine is classed as small (about 125 sqm) and the first year November 2009 I paid £18. Last November 2011 I paid £30. There is talk of the £50 rent scheduled for November 2013 being brought forward to this year, but don't they have to give 12 months notice. We've been notified that the rent in November will go up to £45 anyway.

These are current rents;
Mini £20
Small £30
Standard £40
Large £60

We have stand pipes for watering (no hoses allowed unless filling a water but) and a toilet on the site There is also a shop/office open every Sunday. There is a good 8ft metal fence all around the perimeter. A local landscape firm delivers chippings and grass cuttings all year round as it's a bi product of his business and he's glad to get rid of it. Obviously it's free for us to use as we like.

Birmingham City Council is the landlord.

I know that facilities on allotments vary considerably so I was just wondering what people consider a fair rent.

[Aberdeenplotter]

Donna , there are threads currently running about increases in Plot rents. A court case this week has ruled large rent increases unlawful by reference to the Harwood case. http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ory_63280.html

[SarrissUK]

Hi Donna,

A few years ago, long before I was looking to get an allotment, I know there were a huge uproar against the local council increasing the allotment rents. The increase did go ahead despite all that.
I pay, for my 30x90 foot allotment, £75 pa, plus £15 or so for the water supply. It's a fenced allotment, with a shop and toilets.
I never thought to question the prices, as I think it's good value considering I got about £200 worth of veg off just three-four beds last year. Having said that, I would put up a fight if they wanted to increase the cost again!

[Aberdeenplotter]

It's not too late to fight the last increases!!!

The law says."Land let by a council under the Allotments Acts, 1908 to 1931, for use as an allotment shall be let at such rent as a tenant may reasonably be expected to pay for the land if let for such use on the terms (other than terms as to rent) on which it is in fact let:"

No tenant may reasonably expected to pay any element of rent that is unlawful by reference to a decision to a case heard in the High Court. In this case, Harwood v Reigate and Banstead Council.


The Eastleigh Council case this last week found in favour of the allotment holder who used the Harwood case to justify his argument.

All these Banstead Councils need to be sorted out. You have the ammunition. Please use it.

[donnakebab]

Donna , there are threads currently running about increases in Plot rents. A court case this week has ruled large rent increases unlawful by reference to the Harwood case. http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ory_63280.html

Yes AP. It was reading your thread that got me to wondering what people are willing to pay and whether they think they are getting their moneys worth or not. Just curious really and even though Birmingham rents have gone up I think I am lucky compared to others around the country. However, that doesn't mean that I won't be keeping an eye on the situation.

[Aberdeenplotter]

Donna, That harwood case ruled it unlawful for a local authority to apply a higher rate of increase to plots than it applies to users of its other recreational facilities. So it doesn't matter what you presently pay, the Council is limited as to how much of an increase it can make. If charges for swimmimg pools, football pitches, golf courses, gymnastic classes etc go up by 10% that's as much as plot rents can go up.

The decision in the Harwood case is now part of English Allotments current legislation and is therefore binding upon all English local authorities that let allotments.. You may heard of "case law" that is a very good example.

[donnakebab]

I understand what you are saying AP. Do you think it is worth me sending a tentative email to Birmingham City Council asking them what the rate of increase for other leisure facilities has been over the last few years and what future increases are planned?

Bear in mind that I don't actually live in Birmingham and don't use any other leisure facilities. When I put my name down on the site where I now have a plot I asked if I had to reside it Birmingham and was told it doesn't make any difference. The provision of allotments in the borough where I pay my council tax (Solihull) is abysmal. For example I was 48th on the list of my nearest site, which incidentally is twice the distance from my house to my plot in Birmingham.

More research on my part required. I will find out the charges for allotments in Solihull. My next door neighbours both have a plot on different sites.

[Aberdeenplotter]

Donna, leave future increases out of account totally at this stage. Write to the chief executive (or whatever)saying you want to make a freedom of information request. Ask to be told the rates of Increase applied to each individual leisure activity that you can think of in the five years up to and including 2011 but ask separate questions for each year for each activity. Ask for the same information for allotment rents again using a separate question for each year. Importantly tell them that every separate question should be treated as a separate freedom of information request ( They can seek to charge if their costs in producing the info exceeds a limit. The Council sets the limit so you don't want to exceed it). If you think it may prejudice your efforts to get a plot or keep your plot, get someone else to make the FOI requests for you preferably from a different address from yours.

[Aberdeenplotter]

Oh, and why send a tentative email. Put a marker down. If more folks stood up for their rights, there would be no need for threads like this one. Councils would soon get the message.

[horticultural_hobbit]

Mine would be £30, with the current rents. I'm down the road from you, Donna, right next to The Shire country park. (Really is hobbitland) What I paid though is half that, as the plot was so over grown. Haven't heard anything yet from the lotment secretary about the rent increase, but probably should. He did say there would be an increase that would be steep. As far as amenities go, there's a toilet, water pipes and a communal shed that we can borrow the key too. No frills really.

[donnakebab]

Mine would be £30, with the current rents. I'm down the road from you, Donna, right next to The Shire country park. (Really is hobbitland) What I paid though is half that, as the plot was so over grown. Haven't heard anything yet from the lotment secretary about the rent increase, but probably should. He did say there would be an increase that would be steep. As far as amenities go, there's a toilet, water pipes and a communal shed that we can borrow the key too. No frills really.

I had a letter from the Bham City Council headed Notice To All Allotment Tenants, so you should have had one too. You must have a similar plot size to me as I paid £30 in November.

How frilly do you want it to be.

Some sites don't even have water.

[VirginVegGrower]

You think you have no frills HH?! We have no toilet, no fence, no shop, no fences, no sheds, greenhouses or polytunnels allowed. I have a 10m x 10m plot for which I pay £30 something. We have a tap in the corner of our plot that is for everyone to share...currently about 30-40 of us.

[horticultural_hobbit]

See, I wouldn't know about frills or not! I play with what I have, and try to do it as well as I can. My patch is just a bit smaller than VVG's at roughly 8x10.

Haven't received anything, Donna, from the council; never mind notification of the rent increase. Perhaps I should chase that up at some point.

[binley100]

605 sq yds , water tanks well spaced between plots, security fencing, loos, hut open Sat mornings for refreshments and lottie shop, frut trees, sheds, gh's, chickens allowed . plenty of social events organised for those who want to.......and for this we pay £40 per year....(less if you're of pension age)

[Newton]

£16 per annum. 125 sq m. Half plot. Shop fenced water with hosepipes allowed. Greenhouses and sheds ok.

Brill! 56 plots. 125 on waiting list........turnover 4 or 5 per year.......

Really friendly too.......