Allotment holders convince city council to shrink the size of planned rent increases

The rent hike will kick in next October

Allotment rents in Bristol will increase next October but by less than was previously planned after a backlash. Councillors on the public health and communities policy committee at Bristol City Council have approved the rent increases, with a longer term look at rates promised too.

Annual rent for a small plot size of 75 to 149 square metres, the most common type in Bristol, will increase from £50 to either £66 without water or £76 with water. The original plan was to increase these rents to £79 without water or £89 with water, which sparked heavy criticism.

The increases were approved during a committee meeting on Friday, October 11. Also for the first time people will be able to pay by direct debit in monthly or quarterly instalments.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Stephen Williams, chair of the public health committee, said: “Hopefully we’ve got a clear way forward for the next rent increase. The only indication I can make is the magnitude of the increases that follow will be nothing like what is on the table for today. It’ll be significantly lower than what we have now, and we’ll look to do annual increases.

“Thank you to everyone who has talked to us. We’ve tried to make the process as open as possible and to listen to all the viewpoints. There has been no rent increase since 2018, but the quantum of the rent increase proposed today is materially lower than what came before the committee last time.”

The extra cash will be partly used to hire a new allotment officer at the council. Rents could be reformed in the longer term, with a switch to a flat rate based on square meterage, rather than the current banding system.

In a written statement, Ruth Hecht, from the Dubbers Lane allotments, said: “The current proposal of an across the board percentage increase is to be welcomed, and with it being higher than inflation, I look forward to the more effective service which will be delivered by additional dedicated staff and more resources.

“If the previous administration had listened to campaigners and taken seriously our objections to the original proposed rent increases, this issue could have been resolved in March. However, one of the unexpected outcomes of the prolonged fight to keep allotment rents affordable is that tenants and other stakeholders have found a collective voice, and in the process have discussed a myriad of solutions to the many problems the allotment service currently faces.”

Greens said that the decision was a positive example of the new committee model of governance. Speaking after the meeting, Green Councillor Fi Hance, who sits on the committee, said the decision was an example of the council becoming more “collaborative and transparent” since May this year.

She said: “This proposal is an example of the positive, collaborative and transparent decision making that the new committees are capable of when talking with communities. The new committee-led council was able to find a solution where the previous Labour mayor could not.

“I would like to praise the work of [Liberal Democrat Cllr] Stephen Williams, the chair of this committee on getting to this point. I would also like to thank groups like Bristol Allotmenteers Resist and the Bristol Allotments Forum for their constructive engagement with this issue.

“I am looking forward to working with them in the future to make sure that we find an equitable solution that allows us to improve the services they receive while keeping allotments as accessible as we can.”