Prices are set to increase for the use of allotments in Aspatria after the town council decided to increase the fees.

A council meeting on Tuesday evoked much discussion over the possibility of a price increase to the two allotment sites in Aspatria.

Initially opposed to any form of increase was town councillor Alan Reay who said he did not want a large increase.

When prices for the plots were worked out they included the hire of skips but Mr Reay insisted these would not be needed to the same degree as they had been used in previous years and it was unfair to add them to the fees.

The two sites – Outgang Road and Lawson Street – are very different in size and both have different requirements.

A suggestion of having a blanket price for both was deemed unfair due to the difference in sizes.

Councillor Reay said: “The reason that there’s a difference in the price is that there’s a big difference in the size of the allotments and Lawson Street is much bigger than Outgang Road.

“When we first started the allotments we took this into consideration and they’re much less than Lawson Street

“It’s unfair to charge the same because the plot size is a different absolutely.”

The councillors finally came to the agreement that the new fees for the allotments, which will come into play from February 2021, will change to £48 per year for the smaller allotment and for the larger allotment it will increase to £60 per year.

These changes work out that it will cost the users either £4 per month or £5 per month to use the space to grow.

If you are to take on a half-size plot the fee will be reduced by half.