Council officials have been accused of getting into bed with a premium-priced business backed by venture capitalists – in this case, an allotment bed.
And allotment holders are worried that plots costing no more than £90 a year will soar in price in line with the amounts charged elsewhere by the business, Roots Allotments.
The Brighton and Hove Allotments Federation (BHAF) is worried that people will be priced out growing their own food if the “privatisation” goes ahead.
Roots charges £9.99 a month – just under £120 a year – for a 12 square metre “mini-plot” in Bath, according to the company’s website.
A 36 square metre “starter plot” costs £19.99 a month (£240 a year) and a 72 square metre “couple’s plot” costs £34.99 a month (£420 a year).
Brighton and Hove City Council said that it was in discussion about leasing land to the company but said that no decisions had been taken.
The council’s “full-size” plots are 250 square metres, with half and quarter plots available as well as 25 square metre “micro plots”.
Allotment rents are 35p a square metre a year with the price due to go up to 36p a square metre from October.
After the increase, the standard charge for a full-size plot would be £90 while a half plot would cost £45 and a micro-plot just £9 a year.
Roots Allotments currently has two sites in Bath and is trying to open a third on the outskirts of Bristol in the face of opposition.
Mark Carroll, who chairs the Brighton and Hove Allotments Federation, said that the council was listening to allotment holders’ concerns.
Mr Carroll said: “These allotments should be council-run allotments. They are planned for council land.
“The proposal is to rent this land to a venture capital-backed private company to rent back to us at between 16 and 20 times the price of the equivalent land on a council-run allotment.
“Sadly, this follows a pattern of public services with huge waiting lists becoming run down and the private sector stepping in to offer an alternative to those who can afford it.
“There are currently over 3,000 people on the waiting list for an allotment in the city.
“We are very concerned that the people allotments were originally intended for and who benefit the most will be effectively excluded from these plots due to the incredibly high cost of a plot.”
Those wanting an allotment in Brighton and Hove face a wait of two to three years at best – and as long as eight years at some of the most popular smaller sites.
Roots founder William Gay, 28, a director of Allota Futureland Limited, said that the company was in talks with the council about a site in Hove and was considering seeking a second site on private agricultural land in Ovingdean.
He did not respond to a request for comment on Mr Carroll’s concerns.
The council said: “Roots approached the council to discuss the possibility of them leasing council land. The discussions are ongoing and no decisions have been taken.”
The police have been called in after Roots faced opposition to its new site at Abbots Leigh, in North Somerset, on the edge of Bristol.
Residents have blocked vehicles heading into the field and police were called to resolve stand-offs between villagers and the allotment group’s workers.
According to the Bristol Post, planning officers from North Somerset Council have advised Roots to do nothing more until a legal argument about whether planning permission is needed has been settled.
Selling of the allotments. Appalling behaviour.
They are not selling the council allotments. Please read the article.
As I understand it, a private company has offered to run under-used council land as privately-rented allotments, where the council may or may not choose to offer access to their allotment waiting list.
This would be fine – as long as they don’t hand over the running of existing council-owned sites to this dodgy profit-seeking company.
The council does have a huge waiting list for allotments but, to be honest, that’s not so much because there’s a shortage of plots, but because so many people buy in to the ‘fantasy’ of owning an allotment.
Gardening programs on TV suggest that digging the land and getting ‘free’ vegetables is a wonderful thing, and it can be, but for most people it’s actually hard work.
The truth is that most people taking on an allotment plot for the first time last about six months.
If the weeds don’t get you down then the garden centre seed prices will. If the digging doesn’t get to you then the snails or greenfly eating your veggies certainly will. On our council site, we also have invasive bindweed.
I actually love my allotment and when I have enough spare time it’s a great place to hang out and to work the land. In Brighton our gardens are typically small – and nowadays I only have a balcony flat. There’s also nothing tastier than eating fresh peas off the plant or making salads with the sweet tomatoes you have grown. But, if you want cheap vegetables, try Aldi or Lidl. You won’t actually feed your family from an allotment, so don’t kid yourselves.
Allotments are actually for gardening people with some spare time on their hands. An allotment is actually very good for collective teams of friends wanting to meet up, while weeding, or for pensioners needing some exercise. The fresh produce you get it just a bonus.
So it’s really about health and well being. And, far from dig for victory, this is the modern version of the classic council-run allotments, and long may that spirit continue.
But the idea that council allotments are privatised, and then the rents go up and up – is totally shameful.
I’m following this story with interest.
As an allotment holder in Brighton and Hove I am concerned that Labours attitude to outsourcing things will be the sort of daft option they will take to sort out their allotments mismanagement. Long waiting lists are partly down to the administration, abandoned plots not being used for their purpose of growing things other than grass bindweed and brambles so on not reclaimed. An accumulation of rubbish on sites left to fester and a lack of provision to remove rubbish adding to the problems. Inappropriate staffing of the Allotments department and lack of Allotment representatives being listened to. The system and its administration is not fit for purpose and farming it out the sort of daft shortcut Labour is liable to take.
The large field by Fox Way, Portslade, has been taken back by Brighton & Hove council from the farmer supposedly to rent out by a firm for private allotments for local residents. Could this be the same firm. I have no further information.
Council won’t sell allotments to a private entity. Too much backlash.