Concern about allotment costs

Story:Tim Neal

Burngreave allotment holders attended a meeting at the Quaker Meeting House about the increase in rents, which will triple by 2014/5.

Councillor Jack Scott explained the plan is to make allotments self-financing with no subsidy from the Council.

There are about 3000 separate allotments on 76 sites in Sheffield. About 1000 people are currently on waiting lists. The budgets allow £129,000 for staff, with £122,000 for premises (water repairs/fences/landscaping), supplies and services and a further £60,000 for infrastructure development.

However, many people commented they had little or no service at all from the Allotments Office. Grimesthorpe Allotments should have about £4,000 of the premises and services money. It was commented frequently that water pipes were not repaired, tracks not improved, hedges no longer cut.

Pensioners

Particularly loud complaints came from pensioners who are doubly hit by the increases. Not only are rents due to triple by next year but the concession given to those over 60 will be reduced from 50% to 25%, meaning that a pensioner claiming state pension would see their plot rents rise four-fold.

Great concern was expressed about those who were being driven off their plots due to rent increases. The Allotments Office had a record of only 28 people who had explicitly given up tenancies due to cost but many people suggested the number was higher and many more were in the pipeline. The great loss of knowledge and experience was to be regretted. Many people spoke of the emotional and physical investment in their plots.

There remains little interest in selfmanagement for allotment sites but it was made clear that allotment-holders want greater clarity from the Allotments Office about what services are provided in return for these new and more costly rents. They also wanted more consideration of the concessions scheme.