Extortionate plot rents............

[bario1]

In Edinburgh plots have been going up £10 a year for the last 7 years, and will go up again next year, making it £100 a year - this was the 'target' set in 2005 by the allotments society here to try and 'put pressure on the council to provide more allotments'... not sure how that works!

[Snadger]

Come to think of it I'm sure I've read a clause in the tenancy agreement stating we are not allowed to charge the plotholder more than £50.00 per plot. That is one law the Council will need to repeal as £50 per plot will not even cover the Councils land rent alone, even if we do have full occupancy.

From what I can glean from the replies to this thread up until now, it is only Durham,Gatehead and Newcastle Councils who are trying to put an end to the allottment movement.

And of course...................... there is no North/South devide is there m lud?

[Bigmallly]

Don't know if you read my link Snadge but it's happening down here as well..........

[Thelma Sanders]

And of course...................... there is no North/South devide is there m lud?

What's that meant to mean?

Greenwich (London) was one of the first councils to put the rents up to stupid amounts
Anger grows at allotment price hike | Greenwich.co.uk

[Aberdeenplotter]

In Edinburgh plots have been going up £10 a year for the last 7 years, and will go up again next year, making it £100 a year - this was the 'target' set in 2005 by the allotments society here to try and 'put pressure on the council to provide more allotments'... not sure how that works!

The simple answer is that it doesn't if the rent arrived at is not the fair rent for the use of the ground for allotments as required by the law. (Section 10(1)Allotments(Scotland) Act 1950.

Just for the sake of accuracy though. These rents were agreed between Edinburgh City Council and FEDAGA -The Federation of Edinburgh and District Allotments and Gardens Associations and not with a single society. So far as I understand, there was a commitment from the Council to provide a full time allotments officer, to provide funds for an agreed programme of repairs and improvements to existing sites and to provide new allotments. I know that many individual allotment holders in Edinburgh are very unhappy at the level of rents there. That is the situation as I understand it.

[Snadger]

Sorry, I hadn't read your link Big guy and thanks for yours Thelma. It appears this IS a nationwide problem after all. (Not that that makes me any happier about it!)

[mrgrower]

As has been mentioned, I'll need to dig out me auld cap so I can doff it when the Lord of the Manor comes around!

I don't blame the Council, especially when jobs are on the line, so the only lot I can blame are the government for lowering living standards and returning us to the dark ages.

That would be me sir sorry for not looking to the floor in your presence.

We are going back to the dark ages only this time our ability to feed ourselves and family and to keep warm are being taken away from us.

[mrgrower]

So far as I understand, there was a commitment from the Council to provide a full time allotments officer, to provide funds for an agreed programme of repairs and improvements to existing sites and to provide new allotments. I know that many individual allotment holders in Edinburgh are very unhappy at the level of rents there. That is the situation as I understand it.

That's OK if people can afford to pay the rents.......

I'm lucky at the moment in one seance that any money that is made from the people on the allotment is not being paid back to the council but being used to develop the site.

[Veggielot]

We have just gone self governing so council not involved, rent same as last year as far as I can remember.

[Alison]

Not had my bill for this year as yet (must be due pretty soon though) but for the past few years it's gone up about £2 per year maximum. No rummours about big rises to my knowledge.

[Snadger]

We have just gone self governing so council not involved, rent same as last year as far as I can remember.

Not sure about the term 'self governing' there veggie? If you haven't bought your plots outright you will still need to pay someone rent for the use of the land whether its the council or a landowner? Or have I missed summat?
We are self governing but have to pay rent to the Council, water rates to the water board and PLI insurance to the insurers, via the council.
It may be that next year we will have to have the metred water supply cut off to try and offset the ground rent. The amount of rain we get around here anyway, makes me wonder why we pay for it when it falls from the sky for nowt!
My chooks have never had tap water, only water from one of the many water butts and 1000ltr IBC I have on the plot. Some of them are now five year old and still laying like gudduns!
Whether other plot holders will be prepared to do without water tho is another matter...........

[binley100]

What I can't get my head round is......if you are self run and all you do is rent the land off the council how the chuffin' ell can they say your costs have increased? P'haps I'm being a bit thick here but surely they're just sitting behind a desk collecting a rent it's not as if they have an employee cutting your hedges and suchlike.......

[Bigmallly]

It's all down to cost savings Bins & Councils will do whatever they can to either save costs or gain funds........sorry for going off at a tangent but in Leeds they are imposing all night parking charges in the city centre which used to be free after 6pm........just another means of getting more money for little effort.

[Snadger]

What I can't get my head round is......if you are self run and all you do is rent the land off the council how the chuffin' ell can they say your costs have increased? P'haps I'm being a bit thick here but surely they're just sitting behind a desk collecting a rent it's not as if they have an employee cutting your hedges and suchlike.......

Its a bit of a snowball effect methinks. This year Gateshead have been hit, so Newcastle Council think "Why didn't we think of that as a way to earn a quick buck?"
Its also to do with departments within the Councils. Parks and Recreation spring to mind. Both are seen as 'luxuries' and as such can be chopped.
Just goes to prove that green spaces aren't as high on the agenda as everyone thinks.

[bubblewrap]

Just paid the year's rent for this year for my plot.
My plot is 300+ square yards.
This years rent(half rate as I am on pension credits)£22.65.
Which I think(even at full price)is good value.