Research by trade supplier GTSE has revealed that Stockport borough has the cheapest allotment plot costs in the country (excluding London). 

Tenants in Stockport are paying just £17 on average; meanwhile, Rochdale residents are paying nearer to £382. 

Evidently, plot costs vary hugely from one location to another, in what has been described as a 'postcode lottery'. GTSE suggests this could be due to a number of factors, such as average plot size, amenities, and the amount of work required to maintain the land. 

The information comes from analysis of freedom of information requests to 36 metropolitan borough councils, as well as Google search data. Research revealed that demands for plots seems to have increased, with Google searches around 'allotments' having increased by 12% in the past 12 months.

In other metrics, South Tyneside borough council had the most council-run plots, with 1,015 per 100,000 people. 

Summarising its findings, GTSE said: "Our research shows that the barriers to accessing allotment plots in England are extremely location dependent. 56% of allotments offer some form of discounts for tenants, which will certainly help to give more equal opportunity. Discounts for over 65s are as high as 50% in areas such as Tameside, for example."

Tom Armenante, director at GTSE, added: "Our research has found that there are huge differences in availability and costs surrounding renting allotments in England. However, there are multiple factors at play here, with each council managing their city's allotments differently.

"Some are council run, whilst others are completely independent. Some plots are larger in size and others have higher costs due to water access and the amount of work required to maintain.

"Despite this though, it's clear that demand is high and that location really does play a role in how much residents might end up paying and how long they might be waiting to start their allotment journey. It really is a postcode lottery." 

You can find more information on the relevant GTSE webpage HERE.

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