ALLOTMENT holders in Ferryhill are angry about a big increase in rent for their plots.

Ferryhill Town Council has increased the annual rent at the Broom allotment site from £12 to £28.20.

Most of the other sites in the town have a rent of £10, although the Feversham and Chapel Row allotments are slightly higher, at £13.50 and £14.50 respectively.

John Knowles, 71, who has had a plot at Broom since 1969, said he did not feel the council could justify the rise because it had done little to improve the pot-holed road or overgrown vegetation at the site.

He said: "I don't know why they have put it up to that extent. What do they think this is, the Ponderosa?

"It is nearly two-and-a-half times as much as it was before, but what are we getting for it?

"They should be giving it to us rent free for two years because of the state of the place."

Jamie Corrigan, the town council's executive officer, said he agreed it was a large rise, but pointed out that the rents were still favorable in comparison with plots in neighbouring towns.

Broom rents had increased so much because the council did not own the site, but rented it from another company and those charges were being passed on to the allotment holders.

Mr Corrigan said: "The reason Broom has gone up so much is the council were concerned that for years it has been subsidised by the sites the town council owns."

He said more changes were planned, but that allotment holders were to be consulted on future arrangements, which could include self-management.

Mr Corrigan said: "The whole aim is to end up with allotments that are far better quality than the existing ones."