Greens face campaign over allotment rent hike

The Green-led council is facing a campaign from allotment holders in Brighton and Hove over plans to increase the fees to rent a plot in the city.

The council are proposing to increase the charges to rent an allotment plot from £66 to £111 over the next two years in order to raise an extra £30,000.

The decision has been described as ‘baffling’ by Westbourne councillor Graham Cox and more than 150 people have registered their objection on a Facebook page which criticises the price hike.

The Green Party has argued that it is cutting a historic subsidy for allotments, for which there is a waiting list. However, opponents have ridiculed the move and stressed allotments are aimed at lower income groups who would struggle to meet any increase in rent.

Cllr Cox wrote on his blog: “Conservatives genuinely care for the environment (the clue is in the name of our Party), and we remain committed to ensuring that allotments are accessible to all. It is hard to imagine anything a Council could do which is greener than providing affordable allotments.

“This is why it is so baffling that the Green Party, yes the Green Party, in Brighton and Hove are hiking the rents by this incredible amount and in order to raise such a tiny sum of money.”

Find out more about the campaign against the move.

Related Posts:

• Opposition groups challenge Greens on allotments
• Local Tories slam Labour for ‘disingenuous’ comments on gay marriage
• Tory council hopeful slams Green administration’s ‘waste’
• Labour and Tory candidates for Westbourne by-election selected

Posted by Joseph Lewis on February 20, 2012. Filed under Council News,Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry