Allotments

Notice letter to all tenants 27 March 2024

Notes to allotment notice letter March 2024
Draft allotment tenancy agreement 2025

Council committee reports about allotments 2023/24

Allotment rent review at Policy Committee 11 March 2024

Allotment update report to Housing, Neighbourhoods and Leisure Committee January 2023

Allotment update report to Housing, Neighbourhoods and Leisure Committee July 2023

We have 20 allotment sites spread throughout the borough. There are waiting lists for each of the sites ranging from currently vacant up to 10 years, depending on which site you request.

The average wait shown in the table is provided for guide purposes only, it reflects the amount of time the individual at the top of the waiting list has currently been waiting.

We offer concessionary rates on allotments through Your Reading Passport. 

Woodley Town Council run the Reading Road allotment site.

Allotment request form

In January 2023 HNL Committee approved changes to allotment waiting list processes. Applicants may now only apply for three preferred sites. Each site now has a catchment area. Each site has three Bands of applicants, Band A having highest priority. Within each band, the Date of Application determines the priority order.

BAND A – Reading Borough residents that live within chosen site’s catchment area.

BAND B – Reading Borough residents that do not live within the chosen site’s catchment area.

BAND C – Non-Reading Borough Residents*.

(*Bulmershe site is out of Borough and has a different catchment area and bandings. Woodley and Earley residents are treated as Band B at Bulmershe site)

Catchment areas are currently based on postcode areas. They will be based on Electoral Wards in due course.

The purposes of these changes are

• To reduce travel distance to sites. This will reduce traffic-related pollution and congestion. Also, local plotholders are more likely they are to cultivate their plots properly.
• To give priority to Reading Borough residents over those from out of Borough. RBC tax-payers pay allotment rent and their Council Tax to RBC.  

How do these changes affect my position on the waiting list?

You live in RG4 and are on the waiting list for Goddards Farm (in RG2). You are now in Band B for Goddards Farm, but will also move to Band A for sites in RG4.  

You live in West Berkshire and are on Reading Borough waiting lists. You are now Band C for Reading Borough’s allotments. You are now less likely to rent a plot from Reading Borough Council unless overall demand for plots drops considerably.

You live in Woodley/Earley and are on the Bulmershe and other sites’ waiting lists. You now fall into Band B for the Bulmershe site and Band C for all other Reading Borough sites.

Allotment sites

(updated on 9 November 2022)