- Target:
- Barnet Council
- Region:
- United Kingdom
- Website:
- www.barnetallotments.org.uk
Many thanks to everyone who supported our petition and campaign. The petition paved the way for a legal challenge to Barnet's Council's proposed increases in allotment rents and the Council backed down without the issue going to court. The decision to increase rents will not be implemented and we got what we wanted. Many thanks again.
The London Borough of Barnet is proposing to increase the rent for allotments in the borough from the present £60 for a standard (10 pole) plot to £170 for Barnet residents and £340 for non-residents. Such an in increase is unreasonable and unjustified.
Allotments offer a wide range of economic, social, health and recreational benefits to a wide range of people. They are particularly valuable to young families who support healthy living and to older people who value the activity and social contact. And all allotment holders are glad of fresh, low cost produce in these hard economic times.
The rent increases proposed by Barnet Council are outrageous and unjustifiable, especially against this background. They are likely to cause most hardship to those people who most need allotments. Moreover, if allotment holders are priced off their plots, there is a risk that some allotment sites might run down to the point where they could be sold for development.
Support our campaign against the rent rises by signing our petition.
We, the undersigned, hereby call upon the London Borough of Barnet to abandon its ill-considered and unjustified proposals for increases in allotment rents from the present £6 per pole to £17 per pole for Barnet residents and £34 per pole for non-residents. We object to the proposals because:
- the proposed rises in allotment rents are unjustified and unjustifiable;
- they will put allotments out of reach of the very people who most rely on them and most benefit from them;
- it is scandalous to use a rise in allotment rents to pressure allotment holders into agreeing to the self-management of their sites when such arrangements have scarcely be discussed;
- the proposed surcharge on non-residents of the borough is unjustified and unfair, and is likely to disadvantage particular ethnic and national groups;
- under allotment law, rents have to be reasonable and the proposed rent levels are not;
- Reigate and Banstead Council was defeated in court in 1981 when it tried, like Barnet Council is proposing, to triple allotment rents out of line with charges for other leisure facilities.
Barnet Council should therefore abandon its objectionable and unjustified proposals and set allotment rents from April 2012 which are reasonable.
The Fight allotment rent increases in Barnet petition to Barnet Council was written by BarnetAllotmenter and is in the category Local Government at GoPetition.