Allotment rule changes approved by council
LDRSA series of changes to allotment rules, including the keeping of caravans and cockerels, have been approved by a council.
Cabinet members said amendments to Durham County Council's allotment rules and tenancy agreements would create a "fairer and more flexible approach".
Demand for allotments is extremely high in the area, with about 2,300 people waiting for a plot.
The changes follow a consultation carried out by the Reform UK-led local authority earlier this year, which received 343 responses from the public, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
Nicola Lyons, cabinet member for communities and civic resilience, said: "We will continue to ensure our enforcement is fair, consistent, and proportionate so people can make the most of their allotments and enjoy what they grow.
"These changes will genuinely help people who are working hard on our allotments."
What has changed?
Council leaders supported the continuation of an existing rule that bans vehicles and caravans from plots. The rule will be updated to allow tenants who already have a caravan to keep it until their tenancy ends or the caravan becomes a hazard.
Under current rules, cockerels are not allowed on allotments due to noise nuisance, and the changes will remove any remaining exceptions to this rule, with a transition period of one year.
The new proposals also include changes to the co-worker registration system, which allows friends and family to take over a plot if they have helped maintain it for five years.
The council previously said the old system had "caused upset where plots hold emotional significance" and co-workers had not met the requirements to take over them.
The qualifying period for co-workers to automatically gain tenancy of a plot if the lead tenant gives it up would now be reduced from five years to three.
Other changes include reducing the minimum cultivation amount of each plot used for growing fruit and vegetables from 75 per cent to 50 per cent, including in greenhouses and polytunnels. The remaining 50 per cent can be used for other purposes, as long as it does not break other rules within the tenancy agreement.