Many people will now be aware of the rental increases for allotment tenants being proposed in Brighton & Hove City Council’s budget for 2012-13. The increases stem from the removal of a subsidy the council has previously paid toward the running of the allotment service. This subsidy of £61,500 a year is the difference between the income the council collect from allotment rents and the cost of the allotment service to run. Read more information about the proposed increases here, from the Brighton & Hove Allotment Federation newsletter.

Or read more for the Food Partnership's statement on the proposed increases.

Harvest has offered free raspberry canes to groups that can plant them in public spaces in Brighton & Hove, where residents and passersby can see them. Over 200 autumn-fruiting canes were distributed to more than 20 visible public spaces such as parks, community centres, sheltered housing schemes and housing estates at the end of January 2012. Read more about the scheme and how to plant and care for raspberries (pdf, 196Kb).