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Just saw a segment on a tv gardening show about inner city rooftop gardening site - one raised bed each, $25 A WEEK That's a bit steep! I know they are yuppies and have more money than sense, but really!
Some days it's hardly worth chewing through the restraints!
One bit of old folklore wisdom says to plant tomatoes when the soil is warm enough to sit on with bare buttocks. In surburban areas, use the back of your wrist. Jackie French
Member of the Eastern Branch of the Darn Under Nutter's Club
Just saw a segment on a tv gardening show about inner city rooftop gardening site - one raised bed each, $25 A WEEK That's a bit steep! I know they are yuppies and have more money than sense, but really!
There is something to prove the old saying about a fool and his money being soon parted.
Hi. I have just dug out my bill from last year from my council. I like in Redditch and have what they call a small standard or half a plot. I pay £24 a year plus £9 for water for a small plot. So £33 a year in all but believe there are discounts for OAPs. My year runs from beginning of April till end of March.
Not to bad a price compared with some places.
I pay £28 year for my plot with running water no electricity
My plot is with Sheffield City Council. It only includes water, no facilities at all. The water comes from a shared tap and 2 hose pipes are needed by most allotment holders to get water to their plot. Year 2013-4 rent is £160. Year 2012-3 was £100. 25% reduction for pensioners.
The Council have over 3000 allotments. On April 8th 2013, Coun Bryan Lodge, Sheffield Council cabinet member for finance, said: “Our allotment fees are still among the lowest in the region and there is huge demand from people for plots.”
The council says it subsidises its allotments heavily. Even after the rent increases, it says that income from rent will cover less than 60% of the £300k+/year that the council spends on its allotments. I am not sure how they manage to spend £100+/year per plot when on our site all they seem to do is manage the waiting lists and invoice for rent is beyond me, but perhaps they do a lot on other sites that I don’t see. Last year we didn't use any water at all, but we still payed our bills.
We are now invoiced on the 1st April for the year starting 1st April. Where in previous years we have been invoiced according to Section 10(2) of the 1950 Allotments Act which states ‘If the yearly rent exceeds £1:25, it is not permissible to provide for more than one quarter’s rent to be payable in advance. The reason the Council are doing this is because they believe the Act is long overdue and should be reviewed.
Moving from 'in arrears' to 'in advance' payments has mean't having to pay two years' rent in a couple of months this year.
Might have a grudge with the Council over their policies, but it hasn't dampened my love of being at the allotment. £3 a week is cheaper than going to the local gym.
Ask if you can go self- managed at a token rent for the site. On my site, we pay forty pounds a year for a plot approximately 28' x 86'. We went self-managed in 2013. We pay the Parish Council £1.00 a year as a 'peppercorn' rent. We collect and keep the plot rents and pay all costs. Our basic costs are water, Public Liability Insurance and membership of the National Allotment Society. - about half the receipts from our 36 plots. However, we do have to find the money for site improvements - but the local council didn't afford it anyway, so we're no worse off. So - if Sheffield Council says that allotments lose them money, negotiate. Offer them a token rent - perhaps a tenner a plot - and go self-managed. As we have done. You will probably find that you can reduce rents considerably and Sheffield Council won't be losing money on your site - which should be a relief for them (if they are not knowingly ripping you off).
Sent from my iPad using Grow Your Own Forum mobile app
The lease work for Oldham allotments to go self managed was first discussed in May 2008. Work properly started the following year and maybe half the sites are in a position where their lease is sorted.
They won't be stamped until all the rest of the sites (excluding ours and Broadway) are done.
Self managed is not necessarily the way to go. On the site that I have a couple of 10 rod plots there is a public footpath so the site cannot be made secure. A little while ago somebody fly tipped some asbestos and it cost the council over £2,000 to have it removed. If that cost had been passed onto the growers then I suspect a lot would have given up. To answer the original question, rent is £20 per annum (no water facilities).
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