In the near future a million allotment holders in Poland will be able to buy ownership rights to their gardens for just a few hundred zloty, government representatives have announced. A draft statute is to be announced after the upcoming local government elections, to be approved before the end of this year. The idea has also received the backing of the parliamentary opposition.

Most of the country’s million allotment holders are people with modest incomes hence a rebate will be made available of 5% for each year that the plot has been owned. Pensioners and allotment holders on disability allowance will be entitled to a discount of up to 95%. Payments for the land can be made in instalments spread out over 10 years.

A purchased plot of land could be used, for example, as collateral for a bank loan and may help to fuel the mortgage market, (which is currently growing by 35%/year), further.

Owners also have the option of combining with others in the surrounding plot of land and making a joint application to their local municipalities to construct residential units.