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These are notes from the committee meeting held on 23rd July. Attendees: Dave, Geoff, Graham, Martina, Lorraine, Georgina, Stuart and Lyn (note-taker). Apologies: Rod, Alice. 

Matters arising from AGM meeting Sept 2023

Lyn apologised for not producing a draft of the constitution – this will be done in the next few days

Status of planning permission relating to main gate is uncertain. Application 230149. Stuart has emailed planning dep’t, Lyn to do the same

Updated tenancy agreement for website – waiting for Nick to send the latest version

Horse manure: Geoff and Stuart kindly offered to bag up some of this stuff for delivery to our site. Then 1st come 1st served…

Plot/tenant update

Some vacant plots have been cleared by the council this week.

Lorraine and Georgina plan to speak to Allotment service to get up-to-date availability list, to use for new tenants.

One of the ‘new’ plots (8A?) will no longer exist and brambles will be allowed to return, providing more security on that part of the site.

Programme of events for 2024

Tea/coffee socials on the first weekend of every month, alternating Sat/Sun and 11am/2pm.

Dates for diaries as follows:

Saturday 2nd March at 11am

Sunday 7th April at 2pm (committee meeting after at 3.30pm)

Saturday 4th May at 11am

Sunday 2nd June at 2pm

Summer Social, Saturday 6th July at 1pm: bigger event, bring food and drink

AGM – September/October, date TBC

Tidying up the communal shed

Thanks to Georgina for providing 6 chairs.

A cleaning up party is needed – agreed to organise via the first social in March. However, if anyone wants to tackle it sooner, they are more than welcome.

Once clean, apart from meetings, the shed could be used for:

Storing useful bits and pieces, pots etc. for recycling

Seed swap events

Produce swap events

Gathering produce to pass on to Community Food Bank

Lyn and Georgina have keys. Lyn is making arrangements for key to be available in her absence.

Additional taps

Some parts of the overall site are not well-served for water access. It’s thought this is on Nick’s ‘To Do’ list.

Nick suggested to Georgina and Lorraine that they be rewarded for their ‘Plot Admin’ roles – they will ask for taps. One in 9/10 area, one for 2,3&4, and another near plot 18.

Council consultation

The council consulted on allotment rents, discounts, and waste collection charges, with a survey running until 15th December 2023, and a meeting of site reps in December.

“We will collate and analyse your feedback and report the responses to the Council’s Housing, Neighbourhood and Leisure Committee on 21st February 2024. The Committee make the final decision about changes in rents, discounts, waste collection charges and the terms of the Tenancy Agreement. The Council will then give all tenants 12 months’ written notice of the changes on April 1st 2024 and implement the changes from 1st April 2025.”

Lyn attended the site reps meeting. It was clear that Goddard’s Farm site is quite well set up compared with other sites. The 84% discount for over 60s is almost certainly going to be dropped, but part of the consultation is to find a fairer way of offering a discount. It’s likely that rents will go up for most people.

Post-meeting note: we are currently a category B site, where the full charge per standard plot is £30pa, and the concessionary rate is £5pa. In 2025 we will become a category A site when the use of hosepipes will no longer be prohibited. If the council’s preferred option is adopted, our rent in 2025 will be £50.50pa and £30.30pa respectively.

Keys

Many people are having a problem with the key/padlock on the main gate.

Georgina has tried to get a message to a council worker to bring a new padlock when he comes to do some clearance – unsure if this is going to happen.

Lyn to ask Pete to leave the padlock on the gate, even if it’s not being locked – it’s better for our security to have a padlock visible.

Lyn to contact Nick about changing the padlock.

Martina to swap key with one of those held by Georgina and Lorraine.

Any Other Business

Does anyone know anything about the planning application for the big grey house that wants to acquire some of the allotment land? It’s unlikely that RBC would approve giving up green space to a private developer.

Date of next committee meeting

3.30pm on Sunday 7th April, after the social.

Notes taken by Lyn, plot 40