Allotment owners in part of Essex have been told to either clean up their plots or give them back.
Some allotment plots in Saffron Walden are reportedly in a "disgraceful state" with Uttlesford District Council saying it has serious concerns over how some are being kept.
The council is also set to charge up to £40 more a year for the plots, some of which it described as "pitiful".
At a council meeting on April 22, Neil Hargreaves, Residents for Uttlesford deputy council leader, outlined the new changes.
Mr Hargreaves, who is also councillor for finance and the economy, said: "Allotments, I think all in Saffron Walden, are all housing revenue ones, but the charges don’t cover the cost of actually running the allotments.
"We have quite a number of allotments where people are paying the charges but just not maintaining their plots, to the huge annoyance of their plot neighbours.
"This is firstly to make an increase so at least we cover the costs but also to give a dig to the people who are not looking after their plots to either do it or hand them back for somebody else.
"The increases would be approximately between £20 and £40 per year. I just did some benchmarking against the Newport allotments, and they’re £35 a year, so it’s not unreasonable."
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The council runs around eight allotments, and the plots and costs vary in size. The council website reminds growers that "an allotment needs time, about five or six hours a week over the year, and commitment". The allotments are associated with council homes.
Arthur Coote, Residents for Uttlesford councillor for housing and equalities, added: "I think I spend as much time going around the disgraceful state of allotments in Saffron Walden as I do going around council homes.
"They are just neglected a lot of them, we have three types in the town, the Uttlesford District Council ones by far the worst, it’s pitiful and that’s because we’re not charging enough money to get officers to go around there and chase this up, and we must do that."
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