Reinhard Martinsen is the new President

Hanover. For more than 40 years, Karl-Heinz Rädecker determined the fate of the allotment gardeners in Hanover. The clubs reliably confirmed him again every four years as chairman of their association. The fact that Rädecker no longer stood for election for health reasons is a real turning point.

The new man has been standing in for Rädecker, who was ill, for three years

Or not. Rädecker has not appeared in public for around three years because of his illness. His deputy, Reinhard Martinsen, represented the interests of the district association of allotment gardeners in public. “I want to continue doing this because we want to implement a number of items from the allotment concept by 2025,” says the 80-year-old.

At the association day on Friday evening, the delegates from the allotment garden associations elected Martinsen as the new chairman. He has been a member of the board for twelve years. Werner Kreuter (75), previously vice president, and SPD councilor Andreas Pieper (33) ran as deputies. The declared goal of the three: They want to prepare for the change to a younger Executive Board over the next four years.

Allotment gardeners delighted: “That sounds like a new beginning”

And they have some plans: more specialist advice for the clubs, support for the demolition of old, oversized gazebos. “That sounds like a new beginning,” murmurs an allotment gardener appreciatively.

Of course there were very warm words for the achievements of Karl-Heinz Rädecker, who now lives in the Eilenriedestift and was seriously ill and could not come. Sabine Tegtmeyer-Dette was also honored. The former Economics and Environment Head of the Greens had negotiated the allotment concept with the association. “It ensures the continued existence and further development of the allotment gardens, including financial planning. That’s important because our resources are getting smaller and smaller,” says Martinsen.

Reinhard Martinsen becomes head of the allotment gardeners

In the allotment concept, the city of Hanover and the association had agreed in 2016 that the allotment gardeners would give up around 800 plots in favor of residential construction. The city promised six million euros for this, which it intends to invest in redesigning the remaining allotment gardens. New gardens are to be created on wasteland and overgrown plots are to be restored. The goals include a stronger ecological orientation and further opening of the colonies to passers-by.

At the same time, the total number of around 20,000 plots should remain, with particularly large leasehold gardens being divided. However, a number of allotment gardeners reacted with protest to the planned abandonment of gardens. The city therefore initially acquired building land elsewhere.

Rent increase meets with divided echo

Another drastic change was now up for decision: the increase in the rent for the allotment gardens, which has remained unchanged for around 25 years. The rent increases from 42 to 50 cents per square meter and year. So far, a 400 square meter garden has cost 168 euros a year. In the future it will be 200 euros, ie 32 euros more per year.

This was quite controversial at the association meeting. Some voices called for the increase to be postponed in the future. “We are happy when young families come to the club. And now you want to get even more money out of us,” criticizes a longtime allotment gardener. A man reports that some members of his club lost their jobs during the Corona period and have already agreed to pay the club fees in installments.

“We know that the rent increase comes at the worst possible time, but it is important for our work,” says Martinsen. The association can no longer fulfill its tasks. A large part of the budget goes towards the salaries of the employees in the office, which have increased over the years.

The association has to take care of the demolition of abandoned gazebos, the construction of paths and parking lots. “It’s all going to be more expensive. And we want to continue to modernize the clubs,” says Martinsen. The city is contributing money to the modernization, as agreed in the allotment garden concept. She does not take over the tasks of the association.

Laubenpiper want to do more for species protection and ecology

“Zig problems lie on the dump, the road rehabilitation and the procurement of split, which the city no longer provides,” says Andreas Hildebrand, lawyer for the district association. Martinsen reports that there are many wishes in the clubs that the association supports projects for species protection and ecology.

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It’s often about basic things. At least 20 clubs have applied for financial support from the association in recent years because they were unable to fulfill their duty to ensure the safety of large old trees. “In the coming years, with climate change, this will be life-threatening,” says Hildebrand.

City government assures maintenance of large trees in the colonies

Eventually, a large majority agreed to the increase. In return for the rent increase, the city has agreed to take care of the large trees on the club premises. So far, the city has been renting 36 cents per square meter per year, in the future 39 cents. The district association has received a share of six and eleven cents in the future.

The district association owns around 17,000 allotment gardens in Hanover on municipal land, and the association transfers the hobby gardeners’ leases to the city.