No Rent Increase for Allotments

With the council's budget preparation well underway for 2012/13, allotment rents are recommended for a 0% increase. The current charge of 30p per square metre p.a. has held firm for the past two years.

The borough has nine allotment sites with some managed by the council and some self-managed. In recent years waiting lists have grown to over 50 waiting for a plot on some sites - which prompted a policy of dividing up large plots into "starter" plots so as to accommodate more allotmenteers. This policy has successfully reduced waiting lists to manageable levels. On the council's biggest site off Alexandra Road, Epsom, the waiting list is now 22 with 11 vacant plots expected to be freed up in the coming weeks.

Liberal Democrats have championed allotments in the borough for some years, pressing the council to consider new sites. The photograph shows Lib Dem councillor Colin Taylor on the Alexandra site. Land has been allocated as part of the new housing development on the West Park hospital cluster site, but it will be some time before any new allotment site there is up and running. Each allotment site has representatives on an Allotments Forum, which meets regularly and is attended by representatives from the borough council.

Allotmenteers on the Alexandra site were the subject of a 4-page spread in December's Amateur Gardening magazine. A 24m x 4.5m plot on the site has been given over to growing grapes (chardonnay and pinor noir) and experts from Denbies, the largest vineyard in England situated in Dorking, have helped with pruning. The plot harvests around 70 bottles of wine each year.

Contact the council on 01372 732000 to register that you would like an allotment.