Cheapest allotments in England revealed

Having an allotment is part of the simple life dream for many, but depending on where you live it can be hard – and expensive – to get your hands on one. 

A freedom of information request by DIY company GTSE has revealed the areas with the best access to allotments in England, as well as revealing the entry costs which can be as high as £382 a year.

It found that the council area with the most allotment plots per 100,000 people was the borough of South Tyneside.

Purple patch: The easiest place to get an allotment in the UK is South Tyneside 

GTSE compared data from 36 Metropolitan City Council areas in England, but excluded London boroughs due to the high land value and population density.

It revealed the cheapest average plots in England are offered by Stockport Borough Council at an average of £17 per year. 

The most expensive area was Rochdale in the North West, where a patch to grow your own produce will cost £382 a year.

Tom Armenante, of GTSE said: ‘Our research has found that there are huge differences in availability and costs surrounding renting allotments in England.

‘However, there are multiple factors at play here with each council managing their city’s allotments differently.

‘Some are council-run, while others are completely independent. Some plots are larger in size and others have higher costs due to water access and the amount of work required to maintain.

Despite this though, it’s clear that demand is high and that location really does play a role in how much residents might end up paying and how long they might be waiting to start their allotment journey. It really is a postcode lottery.’

Councils with the most allotments up for grabs

South Tyneside Borough Council was ranked top in the list of areas with the most council-run plots per 100,000 people at 1,015.

It was followed by two South Yorkshire – Barnsley and Sheffield – which were ranked second and third with 785 and 675 plots per 100,000 people respectively.

They were joined in the top five list with fellow Tyne and Wear Councils, North Tyneside and Sunderland.

South Tyneside also topped the table when looking at both council run and independently run allotments.

North Tyneside climbed the table when independents were added to the total, taking them from fourth to second place, with 993 allotment plots per 100,000 people.

Swapping places with Barnsley Borough Council, Doncaster entered the top five in third place, while its South Yorkshire neighbour Sheffield, dropped to fifteenth.

How much does an allotment cost?  

Plot costs vary hugely from one location to another based on many factors.

The most expensive council on our list was Rochdale with the average cost being £382 a year.

By contrast, allotment tenants in Stockport, pay on average only £17 a year.

What’s the cost? The annual charge for an allotment varies from £17 to more than £380

GTSE suggested that this could be down to the average plot size and amenities – but it went on to add that locals are being priced out in Rochdale.

A total of 15 sites in Rochdale are currently so busy that even the waiting lists are closed.

The research found that a total of nine councils – or 25 per cent – had one or more closed waitlists and only 14 – which is 39 per cent – had plots immediately available.

The research also showed that the barriers to accessing allotment plots in England are location dependent.

A total of 56 per cent of allotments offer discounts to certain users, which can help offer more equal opportunity.

For example, discounts for the over-65s are as high as 50 per cent in Tameside, and over-60s can also get a discount in Liverpool.

While there are many benefits to having an allotment, the maintenance requires commitment and hard work.

This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk