County Durham residents can now have their say on proposed changes to council owned allotments.
Durham County Council first made changes to its allotment policies and tenancy agreements in 2023 and is now consulting with allotment holders, associations and residents, to make these changes clearer and to benefit everyone who runs allotments across the county.
It is proposing to:
- Allow tenants with existing caravans on their plot to be allowed to keep them until their tenancy ends or the caravan is unusable.
- Make clearer that greenhouses and polytunnels count towards the 50 per cent ratio for cultivation areas at each site.
- Clarify guidance on fruit crops, which should not cover more than a quarter of each plot.
- Ensure all relevant welfare laws are followed when tenants are given permission to bring certain animals, including hens, pigeons, rabbits, ducks and geese, on site.
- Prevent animals from taking up more than half a plot or causing a nuisance or health risk.
- Allow larger structures on site for pigeons.
The proposed changes also include options to amend rules relating to the succession of allotments to co-workers. Currently tenants can register one co-worker per plot and, after five years, co-workers gain a right to take over the plot if the tenant gives it up. Before five years, plots are offered to people on the waiting list.
Any change must balance fairness with compassion for tenants, co-workers who may have an emotional attachment to a plot and those on the waiting list which currently stands at more than 2,000 people. The proposed options are: continuing with the existing policy; changing the rule to less than five years; and changing the rule to more than five years.
Cllr Nicola Lyons, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for communities and civic resilience, said: “We would encourage anyone who has an allotment or has an interest in allotments to have their say on our proposed changes to county-wide rules.
“The changes will help to keep plots manageable, promote animal welfare and balance the need for fairness with keeping each site tidy. We are confident that these proposed changes are positive and will help to make the rules around council owned allotments much clearer. This will benefit anyone who has an allotment in County Durham, so we are keen to gather as much feedback as possible.”
Residents can have their say on the proposed changes by visiting the council’s online engagement platform, www.letstalkcountydurham.co.uk, by Sunday 1 February.
All responses will be considered before a final decision on the proposed changes is made by the local authority’s Cabinet in the spring.
