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Allotments

For information about where the 15 allotment sites are across Stevenage, the availability for each site, and how to rent an allotment.

There are 15 allotment sites throughout Stevenage, providing over 600 plots for residents of Stevenage to rent.

Size and cost of allotment plots

Most plots are about 100m². Wherever possible we will divide one large plot into two or three smaller more manageable plots.

The cost of renting a full plot is currently £14.25 per year.  Concessions are available for those people who are over 60 years old or/and unemployed.

Application for an allotment

We will always try and find you a plot on a site close to where you live. However there is a waiting list on many of the sites, so you may have to be prepared to wait for some time before a plot becomes available. Alternatively you may prefer to travel further a field to find a vacant plot, but these are going fast.

Within five working days of receiving your application form, we will send you a letter confirming that you have been placed on the waiting list.  When a vacant plot becomes available we will inform you to contact the site agent, you can then arrange to view the vacant plot/s at the site and choose which one you would like.

You will receive an allotment agreement and invoice within five working days of us being advised which plot you wish to take up.

How to pay

Annual invoices are sent out each autumn. Interim invoices are sent out with any new allotment agreement issued.

When you receive your invoice there are three ways to pay for your allotment:

  1. Send a cheque or postal order – a return envelope is provided.
  2. Place a cheque, postal order or cash into the ATM machine located within the Customer Service Centre.
  3. Use the swipe card mechanism, within the Customer Services Centre, to pay with a credit or debit card.
  4. Pay with your debit or credit card, by calling our office on 01438 242500.

Maintenance of allotment sites

Most of the works associated with the allotment infrastructure are carried out by the Councils own workforce.

The main grass paths are cut 7 times between April and October. The tops and outside of the hedges are pruned twice a year – once in the summer and once in the winter. Plot holders are required to prune the inside of the hedge adjacent to their plot.

There is water provision at all sites. The use of hose pipes and sprinklers is not allowed.

To report a problem with allotment maintenance please complete the online report form.  Your report will be investigated as soon as possible and, where necessary, the works will be completed. 

Benefits of allotment gardening

Taking on an allotment plot is not all hard work; it can have many advantages, providing fresh home grown vegetables, fruit and flowers for you and your family, free from artificial additives and at a fraction of that you would have expected to pay in a supermarket or greengrocer.

There is also the social side, meeting new friends with similar interests and enabling you to enjoy a healthy outdoor life with gentle exercise and a place to relax and unwind.

Allotments are significant to our green spaces and provide habitats for many forms of wildlife.

Further Information

Environment