Allotment holders in Alderley Edge could face additional charges in order to cover the maintenance of the plots.
At this month's meeting Alderley Edge Parish Council considered a proposal from the Allotment Society to add a 10% management fee to individual plot holder rents, to be retained by the Society.
Councillor Craig Browne said "As far as I am concerned I have got no issue with it. In fact I think any fee the Allotment Society decides to pass on to individual plot holders is really a matter for the Allotment Society and the Parish Council doesn't necessarily need to get involved in that, but I did think it would nevertheless be useful and important to make everybody aware of this and for it to be out in the open so everybody knows."
Speaking at the Parish Council meeting Fenton Simon, Chairman of Alderley Edge Allotments & Gardens Society, said "We get £843 from the rents that we keep, the rest goes to the Parish Council, and that is for the maintenance of the three sites in Alderley Edge.
"Our public liability insurance costs around £200, our membership to the National Allotment Society is about £210 which leaves us £433. We've had to pay for a new gate at Beech Close because we've had fly tippers coming down there so that's nearly £400 so that's £33 left to cover machinery and fuel costs."
He added "This only an idea we have got at the moment and is not necessarily something we may implement this year."
Councillor Craig Browne responded "I don't have a problem with it but simply ask if at any point in the future the Allotment Society wish to go above the 10% please come back and make us aware of what your plans are."
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
Beech Close has been very good at begging sheds and equipment over the years at little or no cost to the society.
Do the payments from the allotment users meet the costs of both the Allotment Society and the Parish Council or does the Parish Council subsidise the allotment users or does the Parish Council make a profit from the allotment users?
I imagine that the finances involved, for all three allotment sites, are only a fairly small amount of monies, but it would be nice to have them displayed?
This year the rent for all 3 sites are £2813
The society keeps £843 for maintance
£1969 goes to the PC
There are additional cost such as water with is added on to the allotment rent per plot to cover the cost of the water.
The point of the meeting with the PC was to discuss a possible increase to cover other costs in the future.
As the society no longer generates any income other than the rent £843 and anything the show makes we need to concider our future finances.
This will be discussed at this years AGM in more detail which the members can vote on or not.
But we are not a burden on the Parish finances.
thank you for your prompt and informative response.
Are they used for upkeep etc for the allotment sites, ie; re-invested in the sites now or in the future therefore alleviating the problem of the plots being a burden to the PC.