Bristol campaign against increase in allotment fees

Plotholders said proposed new charges for allotments could force many off the land

A campaign has been launched against rises in Bristol allotment fees, with some more than doubling.

Plot-holders say the proposed new charges, which the city council has put out to consultation, could force many off the land.

Holly Wyatt, who has a plot at Bedminster Down, said the changes make allotments a "luxury for middle-class households only".

The council said fees would be aligned with other similar-sized authorities.

Ms Wyatt has launched a petition opposing the plans, which already has more than 700 signatures according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Bristol City Council, which manages 4,000 plots, with 1,500 more run on its behalf by five allotment associations, said there are now almost 8,000 people on the waiting list.

In its consultation the council said: "To simply maintain services at existing levels we need to increase rents to cover rising costs, look after an increased number of tenants and cover the demands on the service."

Bristol City Council said rents needed to be increased simply to maintain existing levels of service

Ms Wyatt, an admin worker at Bristol Children's Hospital, said she and her wife Sal, who also owns a plot, were already struggling to make ends meet and could not afford to keep both if the new fees were introduced.

She said their combined annual rent would rocket from £135 to well over £300.

Ms Wyatt said plot-holders who were financially comfortable could afford the increases but that their need to reduce food bills was not so pressing, whereas allotments would become inaccessible for those who needed them most.

"The implications for this are huge, both environmentally and financially, and in many cases would result in absolutely no positive benefits," she said.

The council said: "We want to improve the offer to our current tenants and work towards increasing the number of plots available for those on the waiting list."

It said: "We understand that the rent increase at this time may be difficult for some on a low income, so we propose expanding the current low-income discount we offer to include tenants in receipt of Universal Credit or Pension Credit."