Furious allotment holders challenge Hartlepool Borough Council’s decision to increase rent by 100%

Hartlepool Borough Council is increasing rent for all its 997 allotments by 100% in May 2024 - from 20p per square metre to 40p per square metre - in addition to a £25 standing charge.

A full council meeting decided to remove a £70,000 subsidy and to up rent over a two-year period to cover the service’s cost.

This majority decision was made after the council considered its financial position and the options that were available to ease its projected budget shortfall.

But Terry Hegarty, who has had an allotment in Rossmere for four years, said: “Allotments should be valued, not treated as if they are some minor nuisance to be gotten rid of.”

He added: “I can personally absorb this 100% rise as I’m working but if my neighbours cannot and give up their allotments, the community around me will be destroyed.”

For Terry, his allotment gives him a break from the stresses of his busy job and a safe space to “switch off and enjoy the peace and quiet”.

Tom Dyer, who has had an allotment in the same area for five years, said: “It’s not just planting a few seeds. It’s also the fertilisers and equipment and everything that goes along with it.”

He added: "They are making having an allotment a privilege.”

This year, Tom is paying £116 for his plot but, with the 2024 changes, he will be paying £207 overall.

Terry, whose six-year-old niece has taken an interest in allotments, says his final bill will be increasing from £103.60p to £182.20p.

With the increase not due for another year, allotment holders across the town have been working together to challenge the decision.

Residents have submitted freedom of information requests, assessed allotment rent prices in neighbouring towns and started to explore potential legal avenues.

A Hartlepool Borough Council spokesperson said: "Given that we are in the pre-election purdah period we are unable to comment."

Allotments first became popular during the Second World War and have since become a lifeline for many people who rely on these pockets of land for their own livelihood and mental and physical health.

Terry, who grows plants and food on his allotment, said: “Covid led to a big change in allotments with a lot of younger people getting interested: physical exercise and mental well being, sharing knowledge of how to get the best from your allotment."

Tom added: “There is a big social aspect to it. Years ago, people would have gone down to the pub and had a few pints, but they cannot afford that now.”

A meeting will be held on Sunday, April 23, with allocated representatives from allotments across the town to debate what steps can be taken next.

Rossmere allotment holders have already met with their local Labour councillors to discuss the issue.

There is also an appeal for allotment holders to join in and become active members of their allotment associations.