BHAF have been informed that the Council is proposing to raise allotment fees from April. Councillor Jamie Lloyd who is deputy chair of the Councils ETS Committee told us;
“I am writing to let you know that the council finds itself in a perilous financial position and we are needing to make savings and increase charges, across all council departments. This is not due to financial mismanagement from the council, we are in a much better situation than many other councils but we are all facing the same pressures of runaway inflation, the spiralling cost of adult social care coupled with absolutely no government support. We have absorbed over £110 million worth of cuts since 2012 and we are all the victims of this devastating austerity which means we are having to close public toilets and nurseries.
All council services are having a 3% increase to their fees and charges and we also need to make a £40,000 saving from the allotment service. To do this in a way that is as fair as possible I have suggested that we ask for an approx. £25 PA service charge, for all plot holders apart from those that are currently receiving a discount, due their personal circumstances. This seems to be the fairest way to raise the savings we need, without penalising those on lower incomes.
Please note that this increase will be per plot, irrespective of size… this increase is a reflection not of our service but of the perilous financial position we find ourselves in.”
Rachel Chasseaud (Assistant Director City Environment) told us that
“…the rise will cover some of the management and administration costs which are not currently incorporated in the plot fee”
The BHAF Committee understand the financial stress that the Council finds itself in but also understand there is a lot of frustration for plot holders and those on the waiting list about how the service is currently being managed anyway. Cllr Lloyd is fully aware and appreciative of our concerns.
Allotments have a specific role especially in times like these when there is a cost-of-living crisis, some people are having to use food banks to survive and some cannot even afford to heat their homes.
It is imperative for us that plot holders and potential plot holders on lower incomes are not ‘priced out’ of allotments and that allotments must remain affordable for those that they are actually intended for. It seems that the Council has recognised this and is prepared to protect those on low incomes who pay concessionary rates.
The precise details of this proposal will not be seen until the agenda for the Councils ETS Committee is published a week before the ETS meeting which is on the 17th January. We will email plot holders the details of the proposal when it is published (around the 10th Jan).
The BHAF Committee takes direction from our members; you… the plot holders. We therefore need to consult you on this proposal in order to understand how we best represent you.
Please email us with your views. It may be best to wait until we see the exact details of the proposal on the 10th Jan. However you can feedback now if you wish.
Do not reply to this email but please email us on bhaf.contact@gmail.com
Our secretary will then collate your comments and we will arrange an allotment forum to discuss the feedback towards the end of January. Councillor Lloyd has agreed to attend that forum to present his proposal and respond to your comments and concerns.
Best Regards,
Mark Carroll
BHAF Chairman
We are keen to recruit new members so please consider joining the Committee to support and protect our allotments. For further information regarding nominations to the Committee, see below.
Join the BHAF Committee!
Notice on BHAF Committee Elections/Re-elections
If you are considering joining the committee feel free to email us and we can arrange an informal chat over the phone to talk about it.
1. If you do wish to put yourself forward for election, please send the following information to bhaf.contact@gmail.com
A. Your name and which site you are on
B. A short paragraph about yourself and the skills and interests you can offer
C. The names of a proposer and seconder
This information will be shared with BHAF members before the AGM, along with the bios of existing committee members who are standing for re-election.
2. The BHAF Committee is the voice of all plot holders in Brighton and Hove. It is funded from a levy on everyone’s annual rent payments. BHAF works in partnership with the Council Allotment Service to deliver the Allotments Strategy, agreed with Brighton and Hove Council in 2014. It disburses development funds to sites, protects tenants’ rights and works to ensure accountability to plot holders. It holds regular meetings and forums, manages a website and various forms of social media communications and provides advice and support on a wide range of issues. The committee also co-operates with other voluntary organisations and networks across the city on areas of mutual interest such as community outreach, food security and bio-diversity.
The committee meets several times a year, including BHAF forums (evenings only) on an as-needed basis. Committee members also communicate regularly through email. Members need to be able to commit to regular attendance. The committee operates a Code of Conduct which members must agree to before joining the committee. The Committee is GDPR compliant and new members will be briefed on these obligations.
All talents are very welcome. We would particularly appreciate new members with on-line
communication skills, interest in taking forward planned work on diversity and social inclusion and also members from smaller sites.
