Allotment rent in Richmond would rise from £24.70 to £30 a rod and cricket pitch hire by 69%. Councillors decide the 2027 leisure charges on 18 November.

Allotment holders, sports clubs and swimmers in Richmond upon Thames face higher council charges next year. Cricket pitch hire would rise by 69% and allotment rent by about a fifth. The over-60s would also lose their automatic allotment and library discounts.

The proposals are in a fees and charges report for the council’s Environment, Sustainability, Culture and Sports Committee. It meets on Wednesday 18 November.

Most charges go up by 4.1%, in line with cost inflation. A set of items rises much faster. The council expects the changes to bring in an extra £196,000 in 2027/28.

The new prices would apply from 1 January 2027, and no later than 1 April 2027. The allotment changes wait until 1 October 2027.

The biggest rises

These figures come from the full price list attached to the report.

Charge Now (2026/27) Proposed (2027/28)
Cricket pitch hire, block booking £82.70 £140.00
Adult football or rugby pitch, block booking £82.70 £106.50
Family tennis membership £80.00 £120.00
Allotment rent, per rod £24.70 £30.00
Allotment rent, out-of-borough, per rod £56.30 £67.50
Allotment key deposit (refundable) £19.20 £25.00
Palewell pitch and putt, adult 18 holes £11.50 £14.80
Pools on the Park Swim and Stay, adult standard £9.60 £11.50
Pools on the Park Swim and Stay, adult with Richmond Card £8.50 £9.50
Library A4 black and white printing or photocopy, per sheet 20p 30p

Why the council says they are rising

The council gives a reason for each of the bigger changes in an overview of the changes.

  • Cricket: the council says its charges were “significantly less” than other London boroughs. The new rate works out at £6.36 a head for a full match.
  • Adult football and rugby: up 29% after a review of what it costs to maintain the pitches.
  • Junior football: the separate 7, 9 and 11-a-side rates become a single £47 rate. New 3 and 5-a-side junior pitches get a £23.50 rate.
  • Palewell pitch and putt: running the course costs “well in excess” of what it brings in.
  • Swim and Stay at Pools on the Park: up to 20%, or 12% for Richmond Card holders and members. The council points to staffing, security and maintenance costs when the outdoor pool and grounds are open.
  • Family tennis: the council still calls £120 “exceptional value”, equal to ten hours of pay-as-you-go court hire.

An ordinary adult swim at Pools on the Park or Teddington Pool goes from £6.80 to £7.10.

Over-60 discounts replaced by means testing

Two blanket discounts for older residents would end.

  • Allotments: the universal discount for plot holders over 60 is removed. The half-price rate stays, but only for people who qualify under the council’s Fairer Access criteria. That rate goes from £12.20 to £15 a rod.
  • Libraries: concessions on charges such as overdue fines would be means tested for everyone, rather than given to all over-60s.

Fairer Access covers people on means-tested benefits, including Pension Credit, Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, Carers Allowance and Disability Allowance. It also covers sanctuary seekers, people in emergency accommodation and care leavers, the report says.

Libraries would also stop subsidising concession rates on inter-library and British Library loans. Out-of-hours hire of the Whittaker Ellis Suite would be set at £350 and the Riverside Room at £500.

Cemeteries and the register office

Non-residents would pay 10% more to buy a grave and for burials. Residents’ fees rise only with cost inflation. A non-resident surcharge would be added to cremation fees for the first time.

At the register office, a new charge for staff time spent on certificate enquiries starts on 1 December 2026.

What it means for you

If you rent an allotment, budget for about a fifth more from October 2027. If you are over 60 and do not receive one of the qualifying benefits, you lose your discount too.

Clubs that book council pitches for the 2027 season should expect bigger bills, cricket clubs most of all.

The committee can approve, amend or reject the charges on 18 November. The papers and the webcast are on the meeting page.

Sources