By law City of Edinburgh Council is allowed to set allotment rents at a "fair rent for the purpose" Allotments (Scotland) Act 1950
So how does the current rate of £100 per annum per allotment compare with the Scottish average for agricultural land?
The following link is to the Scottish Government. As they say: "The figures released today were produced by independent statistical staff, free from any political interference, in accordance with professional standards set out in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics."
Scottish Government Statistics
It states that the average rent for agricultural land was £38 per hectare in 2013.
60 standard Edinburgh allotments (of 60ft by 30ft each) make up one hectare (107,639 square feet).
So the Council is charging Edinburgh Allotment holders at a rate of £6,000 per hectare. That's a lot more than £38
The proposal to triple the rent will make it even more unreasonable!
Do you have water rates to pay on top of that too?
ReplyDeleteWhile charging us 3 times more than they should, and proposing to raise that to 9 times, it has to be said that City of Edinburgh Council have not stooped to the device of inflating our rent further by adding on a separate water charge!
ReplyDeleteThey'll probably argue that they could use allotment land as building land. Best keep quiet about a water charge.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you are right on both counts, Martyn. The 1950 Act does non the less establish the agricultural link in law.
ReplyDeleteIncidentally some of the land is marginal and could not be used for housing. Take our site. We know it is safe from the developers because it is sandwiched between the railway embankment and a cemetery with a water course running the length of it. Access is from one end only, the width of a gate, onto a major roundabout with the railway bridge going over the top of it. It serves both the A1 and the Royal Infirmary. So too many access issues for any developer.
The main problem is Mal there will always be though that just pay up....you cold just move to England!!!
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