Fair Allotment Rent

[donnakebab]

Well theoretically, due to the economic situation, an appeal will either be judged not to be financially viable, not the best use of tax payers money at this time, or they won't appeal because they haven't got a leg to stand on.

[Sprocket*]

Goodness I now feel alot better, our council charge on the basis of no water, or water. You pay the same no matter the size of the plot. My plot is around 15foot by 45ft with a 6ft square off the top. I pay £20 as the previous owner negotiated a price decrease when they took the corner off - really I should pay £40. I always feel very guilty......My mum and dad have an allotment half the size on the otherside of town and pay £40. It goes up every year - we have nothing other than a tap, and regular thieves.

[Lazgaot]

Slightly off topic, just out of interest, I wonder if there is a correlation between the number of unused allotments and the Allotment Rent? One of my neighbours has been growing nothing but weeds and grass for the last 5 years that we've had the plot and I wonder whether he'd have given up the plot if it cost a lot more?

[Dom2599]

Our council upped our rents by 18% last year and after speaking with one of the councillors yesterday, he says they are going up by 20.99% this year, so my 1/8th acre plot this year is going to be £98, verging on the 'not worth it' mark.

I have pointed out the Harwood case to them after last years increase and again this year, however the councillor used libraries as an example and they are having their fees upped this year at 26%, so they are applying huge increases across the board.

He did however drop a little clanger when i asked why there are huge increases, he said that they are trying to save front line services and one way to help pay for these services is to raise everything, i then asked does this include the allotment rents, he said yes. So they are upping the rents to generate profit, which will then be moved to other areas, while at the same time reducing maintenance costs...

It looks like this may be my last year, it's becoming too expensive

[donnakebab]

Dom they can't do that. It's illegal. I thought Libraries were free. The last person to try to bring in charges for libraries was Margaret Thatcher as far as I remember. Round about the same time she got rid of free school milk.

If somebody has been growing weeds for 5 years he should have been evicted to make way for somebody that actually wants to cultivate the plot. On our site you get a cultivation order and are given 28 days to sort the plot out and if you don't you get an eviction notice.

[Aberdeenplotter]

Our council upped our rents by 18% last year and after speaking with one of the councillors yesterday, he says they are going up by 20.99% this year, so my 1/8th acre plot this year is going to be £98, verging on the 'not worth it' mark.

I have pointed out the Harwood case to them after last years increase and again this year, however the councillor used libraries as an example and they are having their fees upped this year at 26%, so they are applying huge increases across the board.

He did however drop a little clanger when i asked why there are huge increases, he said that they are trying to save front line services and one way to help pay for these services is to raise everything, i then asked does this include the allotment rents, he said yes. So they are upping the rents to generate profit, which will then be moved to other areas, while at the same time reducing maintenance costs...

It looks like this may be my last year, it's becoming too expensive

Dom,

A very important point. Libraries are educational not Recreational. Get some freedom of information requests in and ask for the last few years what the charges are/ have been for the likes of Swimming pools, Golf Courses, Football Pitches, Cricket and hockey pitches and anything else recreational you can think of. Make sure that every bit of info you ask for is treated as a separate FOI request. Council's can charge if the cost of supplying the info is over a set figure per question. Ask your Council what that limit is.

p.s. at an eigth of an acre, your plot is a double full sized plot.

[Aberdeenplotter]

Dom, when I say go back a few years, I mean set out to do what Mr Mullins from Eastleigh Did in the County Court in Southhampton. Get increases made a couple of years back reversed. Do that and their starting point for any new percentage increases are very much lower.

[binley100]

p.s. at an eigth of an acre, your plot is a double full sized plot.

Not on all allotments 'tisn't...............

[Aberdeenplotter]

not going to detract from the thread by arguing that point(because clearly any site can set its own sizes) but a full sized plot was traditionaly determined to be 300squ yards and that was the size reckoned to be big enough to produce sufficient vegetables to allow a family of four to be self sufficient

[Dom2599]

Dom,

A very important point. Libraries are educational not Recreational. Get some freedom of information requests in and ask for the last few years what the charges are/ have been for the likes of Swimming pools, Golf Courses, Football Pitches, Cricket and hockey pitches and anything else recreational you can think of. Make sure that every bit of info you ask for is treated as a separate FOI request. Council's can charge if the cost of supplying the info is over a set figure per question. Ask your Council what that limit is.

p.s. at an eigth of an acre, your plot is a double full sized plot.

Hi AP, from the way he spoke to me yesterday, they know they are pushing the boundaries, but are quite willing to do this. I have FOI'd them with reagrds to the other recreational stuff, with things like sports halls, swimming pools, the council dont actually run them, they are run by an orginisation called Tees Valley Leisure......however, i will ask them about the golf courses, football pitches etc and see what comes back.
The councillor did tell me that the Harwood case i sent them had been passed to the councils solicitor to look at, so i think i may have hit a nerve somewhere.
I have asked some of the other plot holders for a meeting on saturday to give them an update, however, when it comes to the fight i think most will fade away

[Aberdeenplotter]

Dom, try to get in touch with Mr Mullins at Eastleigh. Find out what exactly he did and see if you can get copies of his papers. make sure your Council knows about Mr Mullins winning his case in the County Court at Southampton. I'd love to be afly on the Council chamber wall when you drop that on them from a great height.

[Pies]

Allotment Rent Rise Victory

might help

[Aberdeenplotter]

Ta Pies but we have that. It's how exactly Mr Mullins went about it we don't yet know

[Aberdeenplotter]

Dom,does the Council still own these facilities that outside parties run/manage? If so, get the info and throw it at them

[Dom2599]

Dom,does the Council still own these facilities that outside parties run/manage? If so, get the info and throw it at them

AP, as far as i'm aware the concil pay 1.4M ish for them to provide the centres, however i think thi is being looked at as to expensive.

I'll see if i can get in touch with Mr Mullins, my council are well aware of this case as i let them know about it.

I will get some more FOI's sent off tomorrow....

Starting to feel better now