Allotment consultation

Overview

Over the past few years, the Council has been approached by allotments tenants looking for more say in the management of sites, faster turn-around times in letting vacant plots, and different ways of delivering a range of allotments services.

We know about very successful community-managed allotments sites all over the country, and would like to find out how widespread the interest in tenant management is across Reading.

This interest dovetails with the continual need by the Council to streamline its use of resources, which is now even more urgent with the extra costs of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Council had recently proposed a significant increase to the rental charge for allotments to reduce the amount by which allotments are subsidised. We are conscious that rent increases may impact badly on some tenants who rely on the food that they grow on their plots. Also, we know that maintaining an allotment has significant health benefits such as physical exercise and being outdoors.

Instead of increasing charges, we are exploring whether it is possible to reduce the net cost to the Council of providing allotments. There are different ways this can be done:

• Self-management of sites 
• Tenant maintenance of sites 
• Alternatives to rubbish removal

Where tenants have already become involved in identifying unworked plots and meeting and greeting prospective allotment-holders, turn-around times have improved significantly. Here are some of the comments we have received in the past few months:

‘I’m really glad this site is coming together and we are making a local thriving and productive community as that is what we all want.’

 ‘For your information, thanks to your efforts, since last July the number of plots that are (to all intents and purposes) vacant, has fallen from 21 to 5, with 73 now being worked, which is what has made the difference when it comes to general utilisation of the site. So, a BIG improvement.’ 

One way to reduce costs is to move towards electronic payments and communication for all hired services. The Council has already done this for housing rents and green waste bins. From January 2021, the following will also apply to allotment-holders: electronic invoicing, on-line payment of the annual invoice and communication.

Why your views matter

Allotment-holders may have other suggestions as to how costs can be reduced, and we would be very interested to hear about what you would like to do together with us to improve the allotments service. 

You may also have ideas about different ways in which sites could be organised. Instead of a management committee, maybe it could be arranged as a collective or society, or be a partnership with the Council? 

Are there other things that tenants could do that would make the site look better as well as reduce costs?

Groups more independent of the local authority are often eligible for grant funding; for example https://www.fundingforall.org.uk/funds/national-allotment-gardens-trust/

Please respond to this short survey. If you have other ideas, please email us at the address on this page.