What price for allotments?

I'm still mulling over making the end of a field here into an area of allotments.

Say - I made a basic unit of 10m x 20m (is that about the right size?)

What would I charge?

Plan would be to include a tap on each site, off road parking (once more than one or two take up plots) and permission to erect a temporary shed.

I also need to look into general regulations regarding lease times etc.  But what do you think this would be worth?

Now I don't mean what you get yours for (I know there are some great deals to be had) but rather what you would pay.  I need to at least cover costs in this venture.

Edit to add - PM me if you would rather give a value privately.

It really depends on demand doesn't it?

Have you got in contact with your local council? If there is long waiting lists then your price can be higher or if there are already a lot of allotments around then maybe you need to offer great ammenities to get a better price! Also think of added extras you could earn extra income from like a tool loan scheme, fete open days etc etc maybe contact your local community centre to see if they would be interrested in advertising for you in the parish magazine (community project usually get free adverts)

And maybe offer different sized plots so that a novice who wants to try their hand at it isn't overwhelmed and an expert can take a larger plot!!! All priced accordingly!

I know i haven't named a price but maybe you could offer a pay monthly option like £8-£10 per month then it doesn't sting so much when you say £100 - £120 per year      Always make sure that people pay by standing order then you wont have to chase for cash and cheques all the time

This is all just ideas i've come up with now so please take other advice and maybe consult someone about a legal lease etc

HTH
Janine x

Thanks everyone for your replies.

Wildone your comments are much appreciated.  I'm beginning to wonder if this might not be viable.  I was chatting to the council today and it seems demand in our area is not so high as I thought it might be (but then she did admit that the council plots were almost invisible under the undergrowth!).

Insurance etc. I can see as a possible problem with letting people onto private land.  I think the council doesn't worry so much about this.

However it really would need to be £150 a year to be worthwhile for me I think.  I would see them requiring quite a bit of work to create and maintain.  I like your idea of monthly direct debit wildone.

Still mulling I think.... although I do like the idea of folk working the land more productively than the current grazing/hay cutting thing.

Ooh, there's a tricky dilemma. Mainly about demand and supply.  If you live in a built up area you can charge more, or if the immediate housing only has small gardens then you're laughing, as I believe that Growing Your Own is the new THING.  Whilst it's still not millionaire material, it does make use of land otherwise unused.

How about having a meeting of all interested parties; being totally upfront about your outlay, ie water, insurance, tax etc, and see if they are still up for it.

Veg growers tend to be down to earth people so will be open with you on their expectations and money situation.

I appreciate what you're trying to do, there was a situation in Bath where the councillors (bless 'em) tried to shut allotments and put old folks bungalows on the site.  Unfortunately for them, this would have messed up the skyline and affected their World Heritage City standing (they've cocked it up in other ways since then but what the heck), this has resultedin the previous allotment area being layed fallow for approx 7 years, apart from a couple of horses who appeared from who know where.

Despite the demand, it seems that councils only allocate ground to allotments where there is a restrictive covenant as to the ground usage, or in flood plane, or subsidence (eg coal mining) areas where they can't get loads of dosh for houses.

I recognise what you are saying here mushroom.  

However not all landowners are rolling in cash either.  If I give this up for allotments then I loose on other profit I could make on the land (eg. last year we sold hay made from the field).

I need to at least cover costs in this venture.

I am not really looking to "make" much if anything on this, but I do feel that the cost of setting up should not be one that takes me years to pay off.  Nor that the time I put into the management should be totally unrecompensed.

Perhaps you are right though and I am simply not rich enough to do this the way those who might take the allotments would like.

:?:

I'm not actually aware that anyone "manages" our site; we pay the rent in October to the woman in the village post office, and you can contact her if there are any problems, but I don't think anyone does, and we all get on with it, everyone looks after the paths around their plots (to a degree   ) there's no water supply, no gates to lock (thus, no keys to pay for), I trhink what I'm trying to say is that it doesn't necessarily have to be a real time-consuming venture, mark off the areas and let the lottie holders clear it, hope this helps a little