Allotment rents in Gateshead are set to rise by 230%, forcing many people off land they have tended for years.
We urge the Council to re-think this short-sighted plan which will have many knock-on effects other than people simply giving up their allotment.
Allotments bring communities together and provide a healthy way to exercise and grown your own food. We need to make them accessible to all, not just those with deep pockets.
Many people will be discouraged from growing their own food and others will give up land they have cultivated for years.
This goes against the Council's own aims of encouraging exercise, community cohesion and better health.
The increase is also out of proportion with the rises in other services and is therefore unfairly targeting allotment holders.
In tough financial times, it makes sense to grow some food for yourself, but this rise will make it impossible for a modest allotment plot to pay for itself.
