Allotment Demand

[WPG]

Hi Andy
Sorry, no idea of the demand in your area and I guess that's one of the critical issues for you. Maybe you could do some local PR and ask for 'expressions of interest' before committing yourself.

Where I live waiting lists for council allotments are 5+ years, so I gave up waiting and joined a private site. People on our site can choose their own plot size, the average is 150 square metres (appx £300 pa). Although expensive compared to council sites, virtually all plots are occupied so I guess it shows the high demand here. Personally, the on-site facilities like toilets and skips etc aren't that important, the main incentive for me is that it's a secure site and has a happy community feel to it.

Though I use organic methods I think most of my fellow plotholders don't, possibly it might limit the market if you decided to make organic the rule.

Can pm you more info if you're interested. Good luck!

[andyfreshman]

Thanks for all the great replies.

Some really useful information to take onboard.

Yes local demand is the big factor for me.

There would not be an organic restriction but it would be a bonus.

Costs would be more than a council run but I understand the idea is to have a low cost hobby saving money from paying for food as well as the enjoyment.

Looking at links provided and other internet research £300 PA for a standard 50M*5M seems to be the going rate for a private allotment in the North west.

Whether that would attract 1 or 100 I have no idea at the moment however.

As a new venture the plot would probably just have hardstanding parking and maybe some form of rain collection sharing.

I would like to be as ecological as possible but if water pipes were needed they could be added.

Communal areas and other extra's would be added as the community grew and required them.

[Two_Sheds]

£300 PA for a standard 50M*5M seems to be the going rate

Crikey!


Are you sure? Most allotment rents are at the "under £1 a week" mark

[andyfreshman]

Crikey!


Are you sure? Most allotment rents are at the "under £1 a week" mark

From what I have seen of private plots but as I say I am just starting to look into it.

The cost of land for private concerns like mine would make it impossible at £1 a week for that size of plot.

Maybe doing smaller plots at £100 a year would be better?

Or do you think commercial land has outpriced what people would pay for allotments?

It seems waiting lists on all my nearby councils are 3-4 years long but not sure people would pay the difference or just wait/do other things with their leisure time.

[chris]

Totally. The whole point of an allotment was an affordable bit of land for people without gardens/space to be able to have a garden/bit of space to grow food.

I think you're going to find it hard to turn a reasonable profit (if any) unless the land you have isn't being used at all currently - and any income from it is, actually profit.

I don't even pay a fifth of that. However, different area, etc

Edit: We have unmetered water (as it's not classed as a residential supply - so no bans can be enfroced on it either), parking, secure site and a shop/members shed place where stuff for the plots are sold).

Edit2: I say this - as I looked into buying some land with the whole idea of converting it into private allotments. The calculations, for my area meant that I'd not pay for itself in my life time, so I abandoned the idea! Figured I'd be better off putting the money into the mortgage anyway in the end.

[andyfreshman]

Thanks Chris,

Profit is not the main driver as I thought it was a great community idea and there was a large demand but it has to pay the bills and things like security, water, maintenance costs money, plus the obvious opportunity cost to do something else.

My main business is growing crops and horses so it may just be wise to expand them other the 8 acres field I was going to use.

[andyfreshman]

Apparently there are plots in wallasey with a waiting list charging £300 PA and also some in clitheroe at similar prices so maybe people would rather pay a bit more instead of waiting 3 or 4 years.

I am trying to verify this as I was told by a friend who is in the process of setting up 6 acres as allotments.

I would say I definitely need to clarify if people would pay more!


Edit:- Just spoke to the wallasey site and people scared by what I thought was reasonable might want to look away now :-$

The have 30 plots (25 let) 5 available and the charge an eye waring £10 per week for a 70m2 plot fenced in with a base for a shed.

That's twice as much and 1/4 of the land I was considering!

[chris]

Thanks Chris,

Profit is not the main driver as I thought it was a great community idea and there was a large demand but it has to pay the bills and things like security, water, maintenance costs money, plus the obvious opportunity cost to do something else.

My main business is growing crops and horses so it may just be wise to expand them other the 8 acres field I was going to use.

Any chance I can have a few horse seeds please?

[andyfreshman]

Any chance I can have a few horse seeds please?

Sorry, Neigh chance :-).

[mrgrower]

Has anybody mentioned Public liability insurance??? where there's blame you know. Just a thought.

Our council seem to be charging between 17p and 19p per square foot I think and many people have grand ideas about being farmers working a whole field in their dream world so take on more than they can handle so maybe splitting the area into 1/4 1/2 and full plots may encourage interest. If I lived in Wigan and close to your land I would defo want a plot.

Are you encouraging areas for live stock ie chucks geese etc?

Hope things pan out Just get advertising spare land and I don't know if the Landshare site has a facility to advertise paid allotment space available. Also if you have a whats on section in your local paper that may also be a way to get the word out.

[veggiechicken]

Any chance I can have a few horse seeds please?

Sorry, Neigh chance :-).

How about growing Horsetail?

Sorry, Andy, totally irrelevant to your thread

Some of the Wyev@le garden centres have allotment plots, usually equipped with sheds, greenhouses, or other bits of icing on the cake. You could look at their rents - I think its about £10 a week.

[RedThorn]

The ability to keep chooks and bees on site would be a good selling point too

[andyfreshman]

Thanks guys,

I would have no problem with livestock in fact seeing as I buy a lot myself for a separate retail business I might even be a purchaser.

Smaller plots may well be the way forward so costs are more inline with councils and also to encourage new starters.