Allotment rents in Bristol set for massive increases

Allotment rents in Bristol are still going to have massive increases but these will be staggered over two years. The first half of the rent hike will take place next year, and the second half will be introduced in 2026.

There are 4,500 allotment plots in the city and Bristol City Council has not increased the rent since 2018. There are also about 6,500 people waiting for an allotment. While the council scrapped controversial changes to allotment rules, rent increases are still going ahead.

The allotment service was hit hard by austerity and government spending cuts, councillors on the communities scrutiny commission were told on Tuesday, February 27. A growing backlog of repairs and years without rent increases has now left the service struggling to make ends meet.

Jon James, head of natural and marine environment, said: “We’ve had maintenance and staffing budgets reduced. That’s resulted in a decline in what we can actually do. We’ve looked at what investment we need to make so that we can start improving and addressing the backlog of maintenance, like repairs to water supply and fences.

“We’re currently just responding to effectively emergency work. We’re not in a position where we can proactively manage our sites. That’s what we want to focus the income on, so we can start a programme of work addressing that.”

Council officers estimated how much they need to spend to address the maintenance backlog over the next 15 years, and used that figure to come to the proposed rent increases. The target is to raise £55,000 extra income from rents, to help pay towards the ongoing maintenance.

Patsy Mellor, director of management of place, added: “We heavily subsidise the allotment service, but we’ve reduced that subsidy by about £55,000 by increasing the rent. It will not turn into a profit-making scenario. The council will still be heavily subsidising the allotments.”

A protest against the rent rises is planned at 12pm on Sunday, March 3. Bristol Allotmenteers Resist said on social media the protest would be a “joyful and mischievous celebration of allotments and telling Bristol City Council they can stuff their excessive rent rises up their asparagus”. The growing organisation of allotmenteers was welcomed by the cabinet member.

Labour Councillor Ellie King, cabinet member for public health and communities, said: “We have to respond to dissatisfaction that’s growing in the service, and also the stress within the service and the very small office team. I want it to be a service that we’re proud of, so we have to work together to try and improve that, for the benefits of all.

“Staggering the rent should make it a lot more manageable. With all sensitivity to the upset that it’s caused, there could be a positive in that as well. Mobilising activism is something that we should be proud of and encouraging. What could that group achieve collectively? I think it’s exciting to have a new group that’s formed with this collective aim.”

The rent increases are likely to be approved by the cabinet during a public meeting on Tuesday, March 5. Cabinet reports gave details of how much the fees will increase per size of the plot.

Rent for a medium-size plot with water will increase from £70 to £113 next year, and then £156 in 2026. A small plot will increase from £50 to £69 and then £89. A large plot will increase from £85 to £117 and then £178. New discounts will be offered including for people on low incomes, or with plots that flood or are overgrown.