How much an allotment costs

Councillors agreed at a meeting of Full Council on 1 February that allotment rent would be increased.  This is the first substantial increase in many years.

We know how important allotments are to our residents and we realise that this is a larger increase than allotment holders have previously had. However, we have experienced significant increases in expenditure in the allotments budget.

The water usage, especially last summer, has been much higher due to the drier weather and this has significantly increased our costs. Maintenance costs at allotments has also increased in line with our contractor’s costs. It is never an easy decision to increase fees, especially if they are larger than usual, but we need to ensure that we can continue delivering this valuable service in a sustainable way.

£37.50 is the cost for a 25m2 piece of land, with water, per year. If your plot is 75m2 it will be the cost of three lots of 25m2, so £112.50 per year.

In response to comments we have seen on social media, we can confirm that the council has no plans to build on any of the allotment sites. Many of the sites are specifically for allotment use only, and the land may not be used for any other purpose.

Maintenance of allotments

Different sites need money spent on them at different times.  Sometimes this may be a small amount regularly, and other times this may be a larger amount but less often. Historically the allotment budget has been very small so we are unable to spend large amounts on all sites each year.

Water costs have increased. The cost of filling water harvesters is equal to, and often more expensive than, mains water.  We know this is not a sustainable way to manage water on allotments and are looking at more efficient ways of doing so. We often have to balance the initial outlay of installing mains water against the cost continuing with a water harvester. There are also some sites which are not suitable to install mains water due to their locations.

Discounts and reductions

Those over 65 or those receiving full income support are eligible for a 50% discount.  Please complete and return the rent reduction application form to allotments@welhat.gov.uk.

Your tenancy agreement can be put in joint names and a discount can be claimed by someone you live with – if they are eligible.  However, please note that tenancy agreements cannot be transferred to another name or to a partner at a different address.

You may wish to make a saving by reducing the size of your plot. If your plot is 50m2 or more, we can make it smaller. Plots will be resized in 25m2 areas.

If you think your plot is smaller than the one you are paying for, let the allotment officer know by emailing allotments@welhat.gov.uk and they will come out and re-measure it for you.

Giving up your allotment

You can surrender your plot at any time, although we hope you find a way to keep it if you still want to. To surrender your allotment, email allotments@welhat.gov.uk or write to the council stating that you would like to surrender the plot and the date on which you will be vacating it. This should be on or before the 31 March. You will be asked to remove any personal items from the plot and return the key to the council.

If you choose to surrender your plot, you will be able to get a pro rata refund on your parking permit, subject to a small charge. If you decide that you no longer wish to have an allotment tenants parking permit, it is advisable to cancel before the end of March as the charge will be going up in April.