From the joy of the harvest to the fun of picking seeds for next year, when you rent an allotment there’s always lots to do. When you do have five minutes, sit back with a tomato sandwich (home-grown of course) and discover these 12 allotment facts.
- The average waiting time for an allotment is six to 18 months.
- There are approximately 330,000 allotments in the UK.
- The trend for grow-your-own has resulted in a surge in demand. There are around 90,000 on waiting lists for an allotment.
- There’s a national society dedicated to allotments. Find out more at The National Allotment Society.
- National Allotments Week runs every year in August.
- The traditional date when rent is due on an allotment is St Michaelmas day, 29th
- Allotments are measured in ‘rods’ or ‘poles’ in the UK, an old fashioned measurement derived from Anglo-Saxon farming practice. They’re both the same, and one rod or pole equals around 25 square metres.
- Allotments typically measure 10 rods but can be subdivided into smaller plots.
The size of an allotment includes half of the paths around it.
- Different allotments have different rules, all designed to help maintain a friendly community space.
- The cost of water is usually included with the rent. But you will be expected to use it wisely. This is an allotment facts that could save you some money!
- Allotments are not just for flowers and veg. Under the 1950 Allotment Act, you are allowed to keep hens on your allotment. They must be for your use only, and not used for business or profit. Bear in mind that if your chickens are considered a nuisance or a health hazard, or their welfare is affected, they can be removed.
We hope our allotment facts taught you something new about this ever changing hobby and business.
Some less fun allotment facts when it comes to renting
Unfortunately, it’s not always friendship and home-grown delights on the allotment. Some things can go wrong that will spoil the fun – and it’s not just slugs.
Allotments are often located away from homes, and a shed is a target for thieves. Also, when you rent an allotment, you become responsible for the land, and that includes taking on responsibility if anyone is injured on it. Luckily, allotment insurance can cover these risks, buying you peace of mind so you can concentrate on the dahlias.
Buy allotment insurance
If you’re thinking about taking out allotment insurance, there are several areas to consider:
- Public liability insurance for an allotment.
- Theft of tools and equipment.
- Natural damage eg. storm damage to greenhouse.
- Malicious damage.
Protect your allotment from theft
Chat to your fellow allotment holders, and it’s a sad fact that many of them may have experienced theft. Grow Like Grandad estimates over a third of allotment holders have been the victim of theft.
Here are our top tips to help protect your tools:
- Buy a good quality padlock for the shed door and always use it.
- Keep the shed well maintained. A leaky roof will lead to rot and damage, and that makes it a lot easier to break-in.
- Take very expensive tools home with you if you can.
- Hide expensive tools in a chest. Leave a few old tools out, so potential thieves think that’s all there is.
- Mark tools clearly with a postcode. It will make tools harder to sell on and could help them to be recovered to you.
- Take out allotment insurance to cover the cost of replacing your tools.
Public liability on allotments
In today’s no-win, no-fee society, compensation claims are frequent. When you rent an allotment, you take on a responsibility to keep people safe on it. That includes people you have not invited onto the land as well as friends or neighbours who are helping you with the harvest.
If you leave dangerous equipment lying around, an injury can occur. For example, a fork left on the edge of a path can cause significant injury. You can then be sued for compensation. Even if you are found not liable, solicitor fees to defend your case can quickly mount up. If you are found liable, you’ll have to pay compensation. Public liability insurance covers all your legal costs.
How to save money on allotment insurance
Like all insurance, you get what you pay for. The cheapest deals might not always give you the cover you need, and that can cost more in the long run. Instead of skimping, follow our tips to save money on allotment insurance:
- Shop around. Don’t just accept the first quote you get or your renewal quote. Shopping around for the best deal will almost always save you money. If you don’t have time or don’t know where to start looking, use a specialist broker like Park Insurance to the leg-work for you. Insurance brokers use their industry knowledge and buying power to negotiate great value prices that are often not available on the high street.
- Pay annually. Splitting your premium over 12 months means you’ll pay extra in the form of credit. If you can afford to pay in one go, do it – it will cost you less.
- Tweak your excess. The excess is the amount you’ll pay if you make a claim. The higher the excess, generally the lower the premium. Just take care not to set the excess too high or making a claim could become unaffordable.
Let Park Insurance dig around to find you the best price allotment insurance that you can rely on
Park Insurance is a family run, independent insurance brokerage. We’re free to shop around some of the UK’s best-known insurance companies to find the right policy to suit your budget. We’re one of the UK’s largest brokers, so we use our significant buying power to negotiate great discounts on your behalf. And we’ll explain everything to you carefully before you take out the policy, so you can be sure it’s exactly what you want. Call our friendly team now on 0117 955 6835 or get a free quote.