Hot on the heels of agreeing in December a 4% increase in rent payments, which will bring the annual charge for a full sized allotment in York up to £99, it now looks like the Labour Council could abandon the management of local allotments altogether.

Papers being presented to the budget Council on Thursday, would see further above inflation increases agreed followed by “handing the management of the allotments over to secretaries in 2014”

In line with national trends, York’s allotments have been increasingly popular with residents over the last few years.

York has 17 allotment sites with 1,500 plots (including half and quarter plots). There are 260 people on the waiting list for plots.

Separately, the Council is seeking an additional £100,000 a year income from the Energise sports centre. Part of this will come from the increased use that the expanded gym is expected to bring, but another ominous warning has been sounded by Labour Councillors who are hoping to outsource the management of swimming pools, sports and community centres “with the aim of eliminating all subsidies”

NB. The are no public swimming pools in the country being run without some sort of subsidy.