Allotment rents in Hyndburn

Big Dave · 12-01-2012, 17:32

Our council(Labour) have decided in their wisdom(to help the ordinary working class people of Hyndburn)to raise allotments rents over the next
3 years by up to 400% They stress no increase this year but this year will only be for 9 months in their calender.I e-mailed Clr Cieran Wells(the financial wizard who has instigated this) but he hasnt deemed to give me a reply.Do you think I should ask our M.P. for his assistance??

jaysay · 12-01-2012, 17:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Dave

Our council(Labour) have decided in their wisdom(to help the ordinary working class people of Hyndburn)to raise allotments rents over the next
3 years by up to 400% They stress no increase this year but this year will only be for 9 months in their calender.I e-mailed Cllr Cieran Wells(the financial wizard who has instigated this) but he hasnt deemed to give me a reply.Do you think I should ask our M.P. for his assistance??

Don't be daft Dave they all pee in't same pop, your better off contacting the Observer and Telegraph and rattle some cages

MargaretR · 12-01-2012, 17:42

The Lancs Ev Tel have featured this already
National group supports Baxenden allotment holders (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Margaret Pilkington · 12-01-2012, 18:06

Contact the MP, you have nothing to lose.

Retlaw · 12-01-2012, 18:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Dave

Our council(Labour) have decided in their wisdom(to help the ordinary working class people of Hyndburn)to raise allotments rents over the next
3 years by up to 400% They stress no increase this year but this year will only be for 9 months in their calender.I e-mailed Clr Cieran Wells(the financial wizard who has instigated this) but he hasnt deemed to give me a reply.Do you think I should ask our M.P. for his assistance??

What I would like to know is where do they get
this figure from.
Anger is growing after the council announced it was putting up rents because each allotment costs taxpayers £240 to run each year.
What have the council ever done on any of the allotment sites, other than collect rents.
The allotment soceiety need to get a breakdown of these figures under the freedom of information act.
Thats if they really exist, and not just propaganda.

Retlaw.
sites

Neil · 12-01-2012, 21:15

When you read the articles on this the rents have been frozen for 10 years so they can not really complain about a rent rise now. I do think the rises mentioned in the paper are to much in one go though.

I think HBC have messed up by not increasing the rents each year for the last 10 years.

Retlaw · 12-01-2012, 22:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neil

When you read the articles on this the rents have been frozen for 10 years so they can not really complain about a rent rise now. I do think the rises mentioned in the paper are to much in one go though.

I think HBC have messed up by not increasing the rents each year for the last 10 years.

That still doesn't explain how they can quote how much it actually costs to run per year. What have they ever done for the allotmeent holders, other than collect rents.
Retlaw.

Neil · 12-01-2012, 22:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Retlaw

That still doesn't explain how they can quote how much it actually costs to run per year. What have they ever done for the allotmeent holders, other than collect rents.
Retlaw.

Not something I can answer sorry.

What do you think they should be doing for the allotment holders?

I know what I think but would like your opinion before I comment.

Big Dave · 13-01-2012, 08:09

The obvious answer to what have the council done for allotment holders is:NOTHING.

Neil · 13-01-2012, 10:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Dave

The obvious answer to what have the council done for allotment holders is:NOTHING.

So what do you think they should be doing?

If the figure cost per allotment to the council is correct you might not find the residents of Hyndburn very sympathetic to your cause, after all why should they pay for your hobby?

Retlaw · 13-01-2012, 11:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neil

Not something I can answer sorry.

What do you think they should be doing for the allotment holders?

I know what I think but would like your opinion before I comment.

For a start prove that it costs so much to admister those allotments, & if it does cost so much, what are they doing wrong, the council have never made any improvements that I can see. Why not sell them the land, with a proviso that when they quit. the land must not lie unused, if the allotment holders move out what would become of the land.
Retlaw

Big Dave · 13-01-2012, 11:51

I dont think anyone would begrudge a sensible rent increase but to raise(mine will go up from £39.00 to £200) to such a silly rate will only produce a lot of empty allotments and no one wanting to take them over.

Retlaw · 13-01-2012, 12:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Dave

I dont think anyone would begrudge a sensible rent increase but to raise(mine will go up from £39.00 to £200) to such a silly rate will only produce a lot of empty allotments and no one wanting to take them over.

That sort of increase makes growing you own food more expensive than buying at Tesco.
Retlaw.

MargaretR · 13-01-2012, 12:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Dave

such a silly rate will only produce a lot of empty allotments and no one wanting to take them over.

Maybe the purpose of the increase is to have them become vacant and sell the land for development.

Neil · 13-01-2012, 12:39

From what I have seen near me, HBC give allotments to new tenants in a disgusting state. A friend of mine took one on recently ish. The ground is so bad, full of rubble, broken glass and who knows what else that he said he will only be able to grow anything in raised beds.

It was given to him with a massive area covered in brambles he did not want and an old collapsed greenhouse with the glass left dumped in a big pile with other rubble.

I think that a new tenant should be asked if they want anything remaining on the land like sheds, greenhouse etc when they take it on. Everything else should be cleared by HBC and left in a state that the allotment can be used.

In my opinion it is not only unacceptable but its down right wrong that HBC lease an allotment to a new tenant who then has to spend months clearing the rubbish left behind by the previous tenant because HBC did not manage the previous tenant correctly.

The land is not the tenants, its Hyndburns and it should be kept in a clean and tidy manner. If an allotment is covered in litter, rubble and broken glass, basically not in an acceptable condition, then the tenant should be instructed to sort it out. If they don't within a reasonable time then the tenancy should be terminated and the land cleared by HBC and let to a new tenant.

I should have taken pictures and posted them of my mates when he received it from Hyndburn at first, you would not have believed the state they handed it over to him in.