How much?

[Hilary B]

I wonder whether the rent is a mistype, and should actually be �25 per YEAR? That would be comparable to the charges on the council plots.
The basic consent to have the allotments there at all might include a 'no buildings' clause, but if it did, I suspect there would be few (if any) takers!

[nkp1962]

Wyevale do something similar: -

"Each plot measures approximately 90m2 - it is therefore a manageable size but large enough to be really productive.

The soil is prepared by us and ready to go - and grow. All you need to do is decide what to grow, plant it and then watch, wait, weed and water.

All plots come with a composter and access to a water trough. The rent for a basic plot is �5 a week, for one with a greenhouse and shed with a water butt, the rent is �10 a week.

All our sites are surrounded by secure rabbit proof fencing.

At every site you will have access to all the centre facilities (including toilets), as well as a convenient on-the-doorstep supply of seeds, plants, tools, sundries and everything else you could possibly need for your plot."

NKP

[snohare]

Aye, maybe this is the shape of things to come; standing the idea of allotments on its head.
Security fencing and en-suite seeds for sale to those with enough money, who will always have at least a minimum amount of food, while the rest of us with no land and no money fight it out in the queues at the supermarkets.
Not that I am expecting anything to go wrong with the economy or anything, of course. I have complete faith in those who are in authority, based on their flawless record of forward planning, wise decision making, and incorruptibility.

[cptncrackoff]

I just checked back on the link, it deffo wasnt dated april 1st, sweet baby jesus, now thats pricey!

[endymion]

�350 a year means you'd haev to grow a lot of very expensive fruit vegetables to get any sort of return, can't see that happening with land so high and so far north. And it's a long way out, no way could anybody sensibly walk to an 'allotment' there.

Looking at the site using the little man on the maps, you can see the field is closed by a chain with a 'for sale or ...' banner across it. Don't know it a link will work, but I'll try So maybe this allotment scheme is his last ditch effort to get a return from buying the land.

[Two_Sheds]

I just had a look with the little man, gosh it's pretty there

[Two_Sheds]

I wonder whether the rent is a mistype, and should actually be �25 per YEAR?

I wondered that too, and emailed Craig Heap to ask. I got a nice reply from him, here's some of it:

Unfortunately the price is �25 per month, which I agree is very expensive compared to the Council charges. However the Council rents are not up to date and we have done some research into what private allotments rentals are. We feel our site and what we are offering will be great value for money.Our rental price equates to 82p per day. Our idea for the allotments is that people can have a hobby that will save them well over the �300 yearly rent.
I am not an expert on growing fruit and veg so I have taken advice from other private allotments. I read an article on the internet regarding how much money an average family can save....

According to an article in Allotment.org.uk, 2011 "... we calculated a plot could save an average family �800 a year. With inflation this is probably creeping towards the �1,000 mark now."

We are offering free rental plots to Community groups, special needs groups etc.
I hope this helps and please feel free to email or call any other questions,
Best wishes
Craig

So he's based his business plan on what the average grower could save in money, plus probably taken into account saved gym membership etc. I suppose there might be a market for posh expensive allotments, just as there are plush gyms or council gyms.
The market will show if he's right; if he's not, and people won't pay �300 a year, he'll have to rethink.

[snohare]

I don't doubt the market is there. And I suppose that he will be removing the "yuppy pressure" element from the council allotments provision. So in that respect, and of course the free plots to Community Groups - nice touch that - I can see an advantage to the community overall. His mathematics may even work out, given ever spiralling food prices, increased speculation in the food futures market, etc. So give the guy his due, it sounds like he means well, and it will have benefits.
But the obverse of this coin is: the legislation says councils must provide allotments at a fair and reasonable rent. When the council rents go up, as they inevitably will in these straitened times, any court case will have to prove that the market rent is not fair and reasonable - fat chance !! So this development and others like it, help fuel a quantum shift in allotment rents, unless some kind judge decides that a big increase in rents goes contrary to the intent of the original legislation.
On top of that, by providing the better off with plots, it deprives the poorer allotmenteers of much needed resources when it comes time to do battle over poor provision of allotments, reducing queueing times, lack of manure (who do you think the farmers will send a trailer to first ?) etc. I like to think that fellow allotmenteers of any income would sign a petition, but I doubt if any legal expertise or suchlike would be forthcoming for strangers in a seperate allotment site. This swings the balance from cooperation to competition.
It's socially divisive, in a way that I personally find very unsettling; where before you could have all sectors of society represented, rubbing shoulders with one another and getting to break down barriers, now you edge closer to the equivalent of gated communities.
Now if someone were to introduce legislation saying that a private allotment site cannot be permitted without the equivalent number of publicly provided plots... Well, it's nice to dream !

[Two_Sheds]

I hear what you say Snohare. I just don't think he'll have many takers at �300 a year (unless an under-gardener is included in the price)

[green thing]

�300 pound per year allotments

Hi found this today

I'm not sure if it's been done already

Olympic hero to offer 1,000 allotments in East Lancashire (From Lancashire Telegraph)

I think he is missing to point

if he wants to help it should be �25 per year

� 300,000 per year nice

For Land owners who really want to help Landshare - connecting growers to people with land to share.

[Alison]

I think there has been a thread on this before but I can't find it. I think it would be perfectly acceptable to charge more than �25 per year (although that's about what I pay) but 300K does seem a little steep!

[veggiechicken]

Mmm. Nice little earner for someone.

Is this on a par with the Wyevale allotments?

[mothhawk]

I think there has been a thread on this before but I can't find it. I think it would be perfectly acceptable to charge more than �25 per year (although that's about what I pay) but 300K does seem a little steep!

This thread perhaps?

[veggiechicken]

They don't seem to be much further with planning permission but an application is going to be made before Christmas Our Mission -
I wonder how many supporters they have?

[Fruit&2veg]

Olympic hero-Money Grabbing A***Hole more like.