Allotment Rent Protest Options

[Simon Kirby]

Not me this time. The town's allotment associations have finally had enough and they've written to the Town Council in protest at the latest rent increase.

For the attention of councillors at the Town Council Meeting, Monday, 23 January 2012

Dear Councillors

We are contacting you on behalf of allotment holders at West Mills and Southby's sites, to express concern on behalf of our members about the proposed increase in allotment rents for 2012-2013.

We understand that the Council’s Community Service Committee meeting held on Monday 12th December discussed a proposal to increase allotment charges from £6.94 per pole to £7.30 per pole (an increase of 5.2% over the 2011/12 rate).

The following table shows how rates for allotments in Newbury– in price per pole – have increased since 2008/09

[table showing the latest rent of £7.30 is a 78% increase in four years]

The committees of West Mills Allotments Society (WMAS) and Soutby's Allotments Association (SATA) recognise that the town council, along with every other local authority and, indeed, every Government Department, is having budgets squeezed.

On the other hand, we also recognise that individuals are suffering increases in the cost of living and appreciate that for many, not least those reliant on the state pension, “every penny counts”. Allotment holders come from all walks of life, but there is a high proportion of pensioners and of young families. Both of these groups are particularly struggling in these difficult economic times. There will also be plot-holders facing pay cuts or even redundancy. In these situations, the money that can be saved by 'growing your own' is vital to household budgets.

We therefore wish to register our objection to these proposed increases, and ask that you reconsider these rates. We would hope that rents can be pegged at the 2011/12 levels for another year.

Yours sincerely

Susan Millington Chris Lawrence

Chair, WMAS Chair, SATA

While Newbury's £7.30 per pole rents is expensive in relation to the national average of around £4.00 and puts Newbury in the top 10% of charging authorities nationally, the £20k-odd the council collect in rent revenue hardly makes a dint in their £120k running costs so from the Council's perspective the allotments are a financial embarrassment. Time for the site associations to put up or shut up really, as self-management is the only legitimate way to get back to a reasonable rent.