Compromise bid on Summer Hill allotments

They say the county is not acting in the spirit of its partnership with Rother in a Sustainable Community Strategy. At issue is 2.29 acres of land at Summer Hill.

The land was bought for the county to provide an access road to proposed school development on the High School site at Gunters Lane.

Since 1977 it has been let at 100 a year to Rother District Council as allotment space and users currently pay 21 a year for their plots.

Now the county has declared the long, narrow strip surplus to requirements and it is offering it to Rother at 23,000.

Rother's offer of 11,000 has been rejected and Monday's cabinet meeting was faced with the choice of either paying the county or risk losing allotments which it has a statutory duty to provide.

The meeting decided reluctantly to attempt to meet the county half-way with a revised 17,000 bid.

In a report to cabinet couched in unusually direct terms, director of services Tony Leonard summed up the situation.

"The view of Rother officers is that ESCC are not partners in the provision of service and not aligning with their stated intentions in the Local Strategic Plan Sustainable Community Strategy.

"The county, yet again, is seeking to maximise return with no consideration of local needs. Furthermore they would have acquired the land for highway purposes at a lot less value than they are seeking to sell.

"On the converse side, if Rother District Council does not capitulate then the displacement of the allotment tenants to another site would not only be disruptive to the allotment holders, but also we could incur costs likely be greater than the 23,000."

Rother would have to consider extending its Broad Oak Park allotment site or transferring displaced tenants to under-used sites such as Preston Road, Sidley.

Mr Leonard said the council should consider approving the purchase for 23,000. This could be funded by increasing tenants' rent from 21 a year to 31 - increasing income from 1,113 to 1,643 - and, while interest rates are low, borrowing the capital cost from the Public Works Loan Board.

He added: "Alternatively, members may wish to remind ESCC of their Local Strategic Partnership obligations and urge them to accept Rother's offer of 11,000 to continue the council's legal obligation in allotment provision."

At Monday's meeting, Mr Leonard suggested trying to meet the county 'half-way' with a 17,000 offer.

An amendment to this effect put by Cllr Joy Hughes was accepted by cabinet. If accepted by the county council, the figure would be subject to the agreement of the full Rother council. It would also mean that Summer Hill allotment rents would have to rise proportionately.

Cllr Deirdre Williams said it was 'absolutely vital' that Rother secured the allotments for the allotment-holders.

Many worried plot-holders had already told her of their concerns. There was a waiting-list for plots on the site.