Are allotment rents reasonable?

[Olorin2001]

Each year I promise myself to keep a tally of produce, my the end of July that plan gets forgotten, but I know the value is far more than the rent and with the exercise taken into account, saving on gym fees, I am happy to pay the money.
Officially, with reference to the various legislations, allotmenteering is classed as a recreation, not a hobby.
And those people who only turn up a couple of times a year - well their fools to themselves.

[Boza1970]

Fairly new to 'plotting', had mine around 2 and a half years but only got on top of it all last year as it was a jungle when inherited.

We pay �26.00 pa (North derbyshire) which included access to water if required. I find this very reasonable, ten bob a week cant be sniffed at surely!

I went a few short miles over the county boundary (just) to pick up some hens from a plot holder in Notts, they had no water but annual rent was just �8.00 pa!

[Sassy-lassy]

My rent for a half plot in LB Ealing is �88 a year. Hugely expensive in comparison with the rest of the country!

[sparrow100]

Thing is, it's not just rent. My rent's �32/year for about 140sqm including water & woodchip. But in the 18 months that I have had the plot I've spent about �2000. That's basic tools, watering cans, seeds, a few fruit trees and bushes, a shed, plastic greenhouses, wheelbarrow, bamboo canes etc...I have never gardened before, I live in a flat and have never needed any tools like this before. I have got things cheap or on freecycle wherever I could, but still, when you start out, it costs more than you think it will.

To run it now will cost me about �70/year including rent, and the produce I grow should at least get me back what I've spent so far. I'm going to try and calculate how much next year.

[SarzWix]

People keep on equating the price of an allotment to the price of gym membership What if there's not a hope in hell of affording that? How many people are resorting to food banks that could be growing their own food instead, if allotments weren't being turned into bourgeois playgrounds?

[alldigging]

People keep on equating the price of an allotment to the price of gym membership What if there's not a hope in hell of affording that? How many people are resorting to food banks that could be growing their own food instead, if allotments weren't being turned into bourgeois playgrounds?

You don't need a gym membership to exercise, you don't need to have an allotment to grow things.

[DannyRam]

I signed a contract to rent the Chapel garden which is next door to me. Cost is �5 per year and it is still the same!!!

[Littlefox2000]

Hi DannyRam,

Not sure I get why it's the same???

Sorry.


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[Littlefox2000]

I have one and a half plots. They cost �35 and �70 a year. We get water from March to Oct. And deliveries of manure and wood chipping. I think it's quite expensive though. Although I'm not sure if we pay a premium living just over the council border. Saying that, I did get an offer of a plot in my borough after I'd accepted the one outside. It was twice the price and 2/3rds the size and a more horrid plot than our half which floods a lurks every year. So maybe I really have a bargain on my hands. 😄


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[DannyRam]

Same price - �5

[Olorin2001]

How many people are resorting to food banks that could be growing their own food instead, if allotments weren't being turned into bourgeois playgrounds?

There was a time in the not too distant past when people were far healthier than today,
During WW2 there was rationing, you can google it and see what they had to live on, there were no food banks then, you went hungry.
England won a war on that diet.
Today people have higher expectations, very few would be willing to try out a WW2 diet for a couple of weeks, there are so many must have in the modern world that people want to spent their money on rather than food. And they don't have time to grow their own, although they have the dream of doing so, while there's nothing wrong with having a dream, the world has too many dreamer's.

[Littlefox2000]

Same price - �5

Ah! Thanks. Dunno why I didn't understand the first time I read your post. Must have been having a doolaly moment. 😀


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[spanish_gardener]

�104 for a 5 metres x 8 metres plots without electricity, manure, etc. seems very expensive to me comparing how much they costs in England....

[Gardening_Girl]

In Sheffield for a plot more than 300sqm with water is going up to �160 per year which seems expensive but it is a fair size.... just hope the security improves.....many people are leaving before the increase in April.

[Fuchsia]

I live in Sheffield and pay �100 per plot at the moment,in March the rent will be �160 per plot.
I tend to grow high value crops, soft fruit and asparagus plus some unusual crops.The allotments in theory pay for themselves. I am fortunate to be able to spend most of my day on the plot so I get value for money.