ANNAUL GENERAL MEETING

The Annual General Meeting of the Association will take place on Monday 17th November at Astley Bridge Cricket Club (7.30 p.m. for 8.00 p.m.) 

Items:-

Secretary's Report

Treasurer's Report

Amendments to the Association's Constitution (to be posted on this blog-site)

Election of Officers and Committee

Nominations for the following posts should be sent to boltonallotments2014@yahoo.co.uk

• Chair
• Secretary
• Treasurer
• Committee Member

Any items for inclusion on the agenda should be sent to boltonallotments2014@yahoo.co.uk
not later than 27th October 2014.

WHAT'S ON - EVENTS ON ALLOTMENTS

Sunday October 19th - CAR BOOT SALE -
Harpers Lane Allotments Site, Church Rd., Bolton BL1 6HU
10.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. ENTRY FREE
(to book sales pitches call Gill on 07906 758444)

Sunday 26th October - APPLE DAY
Ainsdale Rd. Community Allotment

Association of Bolton Allotment Societies

Meeting 8^th September 2014

 

Membership Position

 

•     Site                                                Paid-up members

•     Sapling Road                                 40

•     Clammerclough                             10

•     Harpers Lane                                 70

•     Florence Avenue                           50

•     Smedley Avenue                            28

•     Cemetery Road                             4

•     Moss Lea                                       33

•     Shepherd Cross St                         44

•     Tonge Moor Rd                              29

•     Tonge Fold                                     32

•     Haslam Park                                  13

•     Dealey Rd                                      22

•     Settle Street                                  30

•     Ainsdale Rd                                   31

•     Lever Park (Horwich)                     25

•     TOTAL                                           461

 

Rawlyn Road have also confirmed their membership of the Association.

 

Minutes of Last Meeting and Matters Arising

•     The minutes of the meeting of 11/08/2014 having been posted on the Association’s website at http://www.abas2014.blogspot.co.uk they were passed as a true record

 

Matters Arising from the last Meeting

·        Buddies - the Council has agreed to have discussions with ABAS to set out some mutually agreed criteria on buddies’ succession rights

·        Definition of ‘Community Plots’ – the preferred solution would be to use ‘any plot being cultivated with the knowledge and permission of the Council for which no individual tenancy is issued’ and to interpret that in each particular case

·        Surplus Produce – the Council support the position at Dealey Rd. and will discuss with ABAS appropriate wording – they have concerns that too loose an arrangement could contravene the ‘Allotments Act’

•     The Council do not feel that they can supply Tenants’ lists (with contact details) to Site Secretaries. Inability to contact plot-holders is proving a difficulty at some sites. The Council has said that in cases of mal-cultivation where a tenant’s address is not known to the Society, the Council will go to Stage 2 immediately.

•     The Council is willing to discuss payments to Societies for carrying out functions under OMAs. However they have made the point “that the budget is finite and that OMAS allow the tenants to receive a level of service that is not provided by the Council elsewhere, and thus tenants benefit more than the Council.”

•     Locks – the Council has reiterated its intention to continue to supply replacement padlocks. They are however considering moving to the use of combination locks

 

Updates from the Blog

•     The Allotments Team has issued advice to Societies carrying out monthly inspections under OMAs after one society was challenged over Clause 2 of the new tenancy agreement which states that ‘The Council nor its agents will not enter onto any plot  for the purposes of inspection without giving 24 hours notice in writing’. Malcolm Russell believes that inspections can be done without going onto plots. Photographs etc. can be taken from the site road or the mutual access paths (and we would argue from adjoining plots with that plot-holder’s permission / consent)

•     The Allotments Team has said that once a Stage 1 notice has been issued by a Society then the Society has three options after the ensuing 28 days inspection.

ü  Request the Issue of a Stage 2 notice by the Council

ü  Rescind the Stage 2 notice – if they feel that the plot is now up to standard

ü  Put the plot under ‘continuous monitoring’ under which the stage 1 notice continues and any lapse in standards leads to the immediate issue of a stage 2.

 

Points for the Review Meeting

•     Dave asked societies to submit any concerns, issues etc, that they wished to see raised at the Review Meeting with the Council on 15/09/2014.

•     Smedley Avenue had been told that in order to have an OMA they needed Public Liability Insurance. They do not have insurance as they have voted not to join the National. Terry explained that they did not need to join the National to get insurance and that he would send them details and get them an application form.

 

The Onion and Leek Show 2015

•     ABAS is proposing to re-instate the Annual Onion and Leek Show for 2015.

•     Terry told the meeting that ABAS is intending to hold the show on 27^th September 2015. He would like Allotments Societies to sponsor the classes.

•     The question as to why the show had been allowed to end was raised. Terry explained that a former secretary had tried to run the show without involving the rest of the committee, even the Treasurer being kept in the dark. He changed the venue without telling anyone and when people turned up on the day of the show to stage their entries they were told that the shopw had been cancelled. The Secretary then resigned, leaving the committee to clear up the mess. The next year no-one would enter.

•     There was much support for restarting the event from the members present at the meeting. A number of site societies and individuals stepped forward to sponsor classes on the night.

 

Any Other Business

 

Issues from the Floor

Dealey Rd. had been asked by the National for a list of its members including their contact addresses. Terry stated that he had never been asked to submit such lists in all his years as Treasurer. Dave undertook to contact the National to find out if this is a change of policy or a simple error.

 

Date and Venue of Next Meeting

The next meeting will be on Monday 13^th October. 8.00 p.m. Astley Bridge CC

 

The meeting closed at 9.00 p.m.

 

A REMINDER  THAT THE NOVEMBER MEETING IS THE AGM. PLEASE CAN WE HAVE ANY NOMINATIONS FROM SOCIETIES TO JOIN / REPLACE THE EXISTING INTERIM COMMITTEE IN GOOD TIME

 

 

Guidance on Monthly Inspections

We have received the following advice from the Allotments team for societies carrying out monthly inspections under OMAs.

1. There is a clause in the 'new' tenancy agreements that states that the Council or its agents will not enter on to a plot for the purposes of inspection without giving at least 24 hours notice in writing.

The Council therefore advise that when inspecting plots Society Committees should stay on the site road or access paths and not go onto individual plots. Abas think that where the inspection requires it - e.g. when a complaint has been made by a neighbour about a plot-holder storing waste on a plot - the Society reps can take photos from an adjoining plot (with that plot-holder's permission / consent).

2. If a Society has issued a Stage 1 notice to a plot-holder and on reinspection after four weeks they are unsure as to whether to move to a Stage 2 (official Council notice) they may extend the Stage 1 notice (even to the extent of putting a plot under 'continuous monitoring'). This might be particularly useful with tenants who have a history of doing the minimum to stave off an offical notice and who then let thei plot relapse into its previous state, as it means any subsequent lowering of standards can directly trigger a Stage 2 without the issue of a new Satge 1.

Minutes - 11.08.14

 

 

Minutes of Last Meeting and Matters Arising

The minutes of the meeting of 14/07/2014 having been posted on the Association’s website at http://www.abas2014.blogspot.co.uk were accepted as correct.

 Matters Arising from the Meeting

It was stated at the last meeting that a member society had been told by a Council official that having paid membership to the NSALG the society gained automatic public liability cover through NSALG. This is in direct contradiction of information given by the National itself. Members are directed to two articles in “Allotment and Leisure Gardener” Issue 3, 2014 pages 7 and 8 which give more information.

Matters raised between Meetings

The position of registered buddies – The Council has said that buddies acquire no rights to succeed to the plot when / if the tenant retires. The Association feels that this is not a fair situation, and whilst we accept that in the past the buddy system has been abused to help people jump the waiting list, we will ask the Council to reconsider its ruling. We are encouraged that the Council has re-opened the ability to retrospectively turn a tenancy into a joint tenancy. The meeting was however told that the Council is intending to restrict this facility to spouses, partners and family members.

 The definition of a community plot – the Assistant Secretary repeated the definition given to us for the last meeting – any plot being cultivated (with the Council’s approval) for which no tenancy agreement is applied. This means that various forms may be adopted to suit each site’s individual needs,

 Some Societies are having difficulties sending Stage 1 ‘Breach of Tenancy’ letters to plot-holders as they do not have current addresses for the tenant and cannot contact the tenant. The Council will not release the addresses that they hold to the Society (Data Protection). It has been suggested that one solution in such cases will be to go straight to Stage 2 and have the Council issue a formal notice. It was suggested that the Council should provide lists of CURRENT tenants to society secretaries (to include contact addresses), each year after the rent payments in October and whenever new tenants are taken on. It was suggested that Tenancy Renewal notices might be amended to contain a clause in which tenants agree for their contact details to be given to Site Secretaries for administrative purposes.

 We have been informed that Bolton Council may be extending the OMA principle to Bowling Clubs. We are not aware of the terms Bowling Clubs are being offered and so members were asked to use their contacts to find out what is being offered.

 The NWCAA has issued warnings about ‘Protecting Our Plots’ and on the need for vigilance in the face of the new ‘developer friendly’ planning climate. Members were directed to look at the website www.locality.org.uk for information on community rights and community assets and at the National’s website www.nsalg.org.uk  members are urged take any opportunity to speak to their ward councillors and their MP about the need to protect Allotments sites.

 A number of points have been raised by the Regional Rep, and newly elected Chair of the NAS Management Committee (Andy Percival).

Mr Percival has asked sites who are asked to undertake unpaid for work by their Councils to consider this very carefully. He argues that doing so makes it harder to hold Councils to fulfilling their responsibilities to maintain sites properly. He argues that sites which cannot achieve self-management, should aim for self-maintenance status in which councils pay an allowance to societies for conducting minor Maintenance works.

In general OMAs don’t include much maintenance (weed-killing or some grass cutting at most) mostly being concerned with administration, (primarily new tenancies and mal-cultivation) but the point about an allowance is one ABAS has raised frequently.

The situation in Bolton (as understood by ABAS) is that Bolton Council has flatly refused to support true self-management or to offer any such allowances to Societies or to debate the level of services we receive

ABAS would like to take this opportunity to correct the view (held by some) that ABAS promotes OMAs. ABAS believes that OMAs offer much of value but also involve Societies in some costs. It is for each Society to decide (in its own individual case) whether the advantages of being able to directly influence the letting of plots, the operation of the tenancy rules (especially the issuing of mal-cultivation notices) and the building of structures on their site outweigh the work  / costs involved in their particular OMA. For a number of sites the choice has been to adopt an OMA , for others it has not been accepted. ABAS supports all members societies in their decisions.

 In the recent report from the North-West Region Allotments Officers Forum it was stated that in some other authorities, Society Secretaries carrying out duties similar to those our Site Secretaries carry out under OMAs receive benefits for so doing. Possible Benefits have included – a free plot for the Society Secretary and payments of up to £85 p.a. There was no support for individual benefits to be paid to Society officers but the meeting felt that some payment to the Society would be appropriate and instructed the Committee to raise the matter with the Council. It was also felt that societies should raise the matter with their ward councillors.

 

RESULTS OF THE COMPETITIONS have been posted on the blog-site.

The prizes were presented on August 10th by Cllr Sufrana Bashire Ismail at Harpers Lane Allotments Site.

 Issues from the Floor

 Dealey Road reported that there was a clause in their OMA that specifically allowed for surplus produce donated by plot-holders to their Society to be sold by the Society to raise funds for the Site. The meeting felt that such a clause should be added to all OMAs.

 The question of gates and locks was raised. Some societies felt that grants for new locks etc. were still available from Area Forums, whilst others felt they were not. Other sources of grant funding can be accessed through the ‘Portal’ at Bolton CVS.

 On a lighter note, a question was raise as to how a pet rabbit (which had been released onto a site) might be captured without harming the animal. Numerous suggestions were made.

Date and Venue of Next Meeting

The next meeting will take place at Astley Bridge Cricket Club at 8.00 p.m. on Monday September 8^th.

 

 

The Annual Bolton Allotments Awards (organised this year by the Association of Bolton Allotments Societies) were presented on Sunday 10^th August at the Harpers Lane Allotments Site. Despite appalling weather conditions, over 100 people crammed into a marquee at the Harpers Lane Allotments Site to see Cllr Sufrana Bashir-Ismail (– Executive Member on Bolton Council for the group of services which include Allotments) present the Awards to the winners.

The results were as follows:-

FAIRHURST TROPHY – for the Best ‘Full-Size’ Plot (>200 square metres)

1^st G Hamer (Longworth Rd. Allotments Society)

2^nd D Urmston (Sapling Rd. Allotment Society)

3^rd R & J Dyson (Sapling Rd Allotment Society.)

 FRED GREENHALGH TROPHY – for the best smaller plot (<200 square metres)

1^st M Marsh (Nasmyth St Allotments Society)

2^nd A Wood (Nasmyth St Allotments Society)

3^rd J Dainty (Nasmyth St Allotments Society.)

NEW ENTRANTS TROPHY – for those who have held their plot for less than 12 months

1^st E Hartigan and Roy Bottomley (Tonge Moor Rd Allotment Society.)

2^nd Ann Armor (Tonge Moor Rd Allotment Society.)

3^rd Harry Booth and Peter Sellers (Tonge Moor Rd. Allotment Society)

ABAS ROSEBOWL – for the Best (Council owned) Site in the Bolton Area

Dealey Rd. Allotments Society

 Terry Farrell, Treasurer of the Association of Bolton Allotment Societies (ABAS) said

‘Given that the Association had a late start  to the Competition – stepping in when the Council felt that due to resource constraints it could not run the awards this year – there was a very encouraging number of entries and all entries were of a high standard – “there were no losers”.

The Association aims to run the competition again in 2015.

Mr Geoff Hamer receives the Fairhurst Trophy from Cllr. Sufrana Bashir Ismail assisted by Mr George Wild (Secretary – ABAS)

 

 

Mrs Marsh accepts the Greenhalgh Trophy on behalf of her husband

Eileen Hartigan and Roy Bottomley receive the New Entrants Shield

 

Training Opportunities

 BOLTON CVS IS ORGANISING A PROGRAMME OF TRAINING IN THE AUTUMN

Allotment Societies are voluntary bodies, we urge you to join the CVS and take advantage of the training opportunities that they can provide. membership is free.

Working with young volunteers and volunteers with additional needs   Free
Date: Thursday, 25 September 2014  Time:10:00am - 12:00pm   

Hallmarks of an effective Charity – What every committee member needs to know
Date: Friday, 26 September 2014 Time: 10:00am - 4:00pm

Finding the Right Grant using the Funding Portal   Free
Date: Tuesday, 30 September 2014 Time: 10:00am  - 12:00pm

Stronger Together Seminar – Using Social Media   Free
Date: Wednesday, 8 October 2014 Time: 10:00am  - 12:00pm

Completing Bolton CVS Grant Applications   Free
Date: Friday, 17 October 2014 Time: 10:00am - 12:00pm

Hallmarks of an effective Charity – Financial Management
Date: Thursday, 23 October 2014 Time: 10:00am - 4:00pm

Win that Bid – Applying for grants
Date: Monday, 10 November 2014 Time: 10:00am - 4:00pm

Hallmarks of an effective Charity – Strategic Planning – Ensuring your group is on track and planning for the future
Date: Thursday, 20 November 2014 Time: 10:00am - 4:00pm

Showing the funder why you're needed
Date: Monday, 1 December 2014 Time: 10:00am - 4:00pm

Developing a Marketing Plan
Date: Thursday, 11 December 2014 Time: 10:00am - 4:00pm

Stronger Together Seminar - Developing Case studies that help you promote your cause
Date: Monday, 15 December 2014 Time:10:00am - 12:00pm  Free



For more information about any of these courses please email training@boltoncvs.org.uk or telephone 01204 546014.