Walton Allotment Association  

Committee Meeting Minutes

14/03/2008  

Subject to Approval at next meeting

Present:      Chris Coxon- Treasurer

                                Daniel Fildes- Dudley Council

                                        Grace Jones - Deputy Chairperson

                         John Reynolds- Secretary

In the absence of a Chairperson, John Reynolds took the Chair

1)   Chris Hulston.  After many years as a plot-holder and a short time as a Trustee and Committee member, Chris has decided he no longer wishes to continue.

JR asked Daniel Fildes whether we could continue to run the

Association with just 3 Trustees until the AGM. He said in the short term that would be ok but we needed to find a fourth Trustee as soon as we could.

2) Secretary’s Report  

a)  JR reported that the Association was now a member of the NSALG and we would soon be taking out public liability insurance with Newscape. DF advised that we should take out £5 million of public liability insurance. JR said the proposed Total rents for 2008/2009 had been calculated assuming we would be taking out £2 million of public liability insurance. CC proposed that the figures be adjusted so that we took out the recommended amount of public liability but the Total Rent did not alter.

The Committee agreed.  

b) Water Charges for 2008/9 and the future

DF had previously informed JR that Dudley would charge the Association £1.75 per plot for water in the year 2008/9 but in the next 12 months a water meter would be fitted to the Allotment supply. Then the association would be responsible for paying the Metered Water Charges to South Staffs

c)  Rents for 2008/9

The Total rents for 2008/9 will be made up of 3 factors:-

 1) A plot rental factor which will be approximately £3.90

for 50 square metres;

2) A factor to include NSALG membership and public Liability Insurance; (£8 per plot)

3) A Water Charge of £1.75 per plot

A typical plot of 200 sq mts would have a total rent of £25.35

compared to the £28.15 set by Dudley for 2007/8.  The 10%

discount for early payment has not been applied to the £25.35.

d) Waiting List

The waiting list for plots is now down to four people.

3) Right of Access through Allotments

JR informed DF of the scenario and he saw no problem

with the spouse and children of a plot holder using the

Allotment gate as a means of access to Bundle Hill, Wall Well or Highfield Lane as long as they resided in the plot holders abode.

Use of the gate by others is to be discouraged.

JR asked DF if we should be locking the gate for one day per year to prevent it becoming established as a Right Of Way.

DF would consult the Right of Way Officer at Dudley Council

4) Request for Funding from Halesowen Area Committee

No response as yet but JR believes that our application was not put before Halesowen Area Committee last Wednesday.

DF asked how much we were asking for because he had certain funds that could become available.

Lesley Horne to send appropriate paperwork to JR.

5) Organise an AGM to elect a new Trustee to replace CH and a new Committee 

JR said it was the intention of the Trustees and Committee

to get the Association up and running then to call an AGM

where they would stand with any other candidates for election.  It is thought this AGM would be held in June.  

6) Any Other Business  

   We have recently received a document from Dudley about Bonfires. In the document there is mention of Council supplied skips. JR asked DF if we had to pay for these

skips or were they free. DF answered by saying the Council

supplies two skips per year to each allotment for no charge.

All we have to do is find a suitable parking spot for it and phone Lesley Horne and order one.  

JR asked about Green Wheelie bins and DF said he could see them being issued to allotments in future

CC asked exactly what the Association was responsible for maintenance-wise quoting by example of the lock on the gate.

In reply, DF said if the lock was broken once then the Association were responsible for replacement, but if the lock was broken on a regular basis, the Council would help.

JR said he would like to erect a sign…Walton allotment association etc … but would he need the Councils permission. DF said permission was required.

CC asked about vehicular access to the site. After some discussion DF agreed to get a quotation for a ramp from the youth club end.

CC informed the Committee of a potential problem with children climbing into the Allotment via trees in one of the gardens in Windsor Road . DF advised the Association to write to the householder politely asking him/her to deal with the problem. If this did not work, inform DF who write to the householder.

There was some discussion about the procedures to be followed when dealing with a plot holder who was not cultivating his/her plot. Also discussed was the possibility of Dudley to supply thick black polythene sheeting .

DF said he had been contacted by a plot holder who was concerned that her children would not be allowed on the Allotments. JR/CC said they were aware there had been some disagreement but children, like all visitors to the site, were welcome as long as they behaved appropriately and are accompanied by a registered plot holder

There being no other business the meeting was closed.

Next Meeting:- Date, Time Venue to be announced.