MINUTES 14/07/2014

ABAS - Association of Bolton Allotment Societies

Meeting 14^th July 2014

 

Present: Committee – Richard Heyes (Chair), George Wild (Secretary), Terry Farrell (Treasurer), David Jackson (Asst. Secretary), Jeff Gibson, Margaret Jackson, Phil Warren plus representatives of : Sapling Rd., Tonge Fold, Haslam Park, Dealey Rd., Rawlyn Rd., Smedley Avenue, Settle St., Florence Avenue, Shepherd Cross St., Tonge Moor Rd., Moss Lea and Harpers Lane.

 

Minutes of Last Meeting

The minutes of the meeting of 9/06/2014 have been posted on the Association’s website at http://www.abas2014.blogspot.co.uk   The minutes were agreed.

 

Matters Arising from the Meeting

ABAS had contacted the Council about reinstatement work at Cemetery Rd. Farnworth. What has happened since could not be discussed as no representative of Cemetery Rd. was present to provide an update.

 

Matters Arising between Meetings

Contact from the National – members with projects relating to Bees that might form the basis for a piece in Allotment and Leisure Gardener were asked to contact Diane Appleyard – diane@nsalg.org.uk

 

Update on Council Actions
(information provided by the Allotments Desk at Bolton MBC)

 

OMAs

• Completed 4 – (Harpers Lane, Florence Ave, Shepherds Cross St, Moss Lea)
• Expected Completion in July 2 – (Dealey Rd., Sapling Rd.)
• Site Visit Completed, In progress 3 –(Rawlyn Rd., Tonge Fold, Tonge Moor Rd.)
• Site Visit to be arranged 1 – (Settle Street)

 

The Council are currently aware of 42 vacant plots borough-wide (excluding plots on OMA sites)

This is down from 69 in March

The Council are currently filling vacant plots at Crown Lane, Rawlyn Rd. and Manningham Rd. They aim to tackle 2 more non-OMA sites in September

 

Waiting Lists

There are currently 293 people on the Council’s waiting list (down from 305 in March)

 

Community Plots – a definition

A community plot is any plot where the person(s) working it do not have a tenancy.  On OMA sites this may include people clearing a plot for their own subsequent use (provided they complete the clearance) with no tenancy and making no payment.

 

Non-OMA sites

The Council is struggling through lack of capacity to make inspections on non-OMA sites. They have reported on only one site to date at which 12 plots were served with Notices to Improve

 

Competitions Update

Report on Judging – 5 sites have been judged so far. Judging will be completed on 15/07/2014.

 

Sponsorship of Prizes

Sponsorship by J Maher Ltd of First and Second Prizes for the Fairhurst, Greenhalgh and New Entrant Trophies. The balance of prize money etc. will be provided from ABAS funds.

 

Presentations to Prize Winners

Will take place at Harpers Lane Open Day at 3.00 p.m. on August 10^th 2014 by Councillor Sufrana Bashir-Ismail (executive Member for the area covering allotments)

 

A representative of Sapling Rd. enquired why Harpers Lane’s Open Day had been chosen as the venue for the prize giving. The reason given was the limited time to find, and the limited funds available for, other venues. This reply satisfied the representative.

 

 

National Allotments Week

National Allotments Week runs from 4^th August to 10^th August

The National have issued a pack to help any society to promote events in connection with the Week. Memebrs were informed that they could get an electronic copy from ABAS at boltonallotments2014@yahoo.co.uk or direct from the National at www.nsalg.org.uk from whom you can also order free posters (some posters were made available at the meeting.)

ABAS will be trying to get material about allotments into the Bolton News during National Allotment Week

 

Open Days etc.

Sites having any ‘public’ events over the summer (whether in connection with National Allotment Week or not) were asked to inform ABAS. A provisional list was drawn up which will be posted on the ABAS blog-site. ABAS will try to get events posted on the North West Counties’ website

 

Good to Grow Project - Presentation by Alun Morris

 

Any Other Business

 

The meeting approved a suggestion for the Committee that we have invited speakers at some of our meetings. Suggestions ranged from a visit from Robinson’s Seeds, to dahlias and chrysanthemums, worms, beekeeping and poultry-keeping. The Treasurer’s suggestion that ABAS joins the National Vegetable Society was agreed by the meeting.

 

The Assistant Secretary asked whether (in view of the number of events taking place in August) we should still have an August meeting. The feeling of those present was that we should.

 

Date and Venue of Next Meeting

The next meeting will take place at 8.00 p.m. at Astley Bridge Cricket Club on the 11^th of August.

 

Close

There being no further business the Chair declared the meeting closed.

 

 

SUMMER EVENTS IN BOLTON

Association of

BOLTON ALLOTMENT SOCIETIES (ABAS)

 

AUGUST ON THE ALLOTMENTS – OPEN EVENTS AND NATIONAL ALLOTMENTS WEEK

Started twelve years ago, National Allotments Week is an initiative which runs annually to help raise awareness of allotments and the role they play in helping people to live healthier lifestyles, grow their own food, develop friendships and bolster communities.  The National Allotments Society’s annual awareness week will run this year from 3 to 10 August 2014, and events in Bolton will start with Sapling Rd. Allotments Site’s Open Day on August 3^rd and end with the presentation of the ABAS Competition Prizes at Harpers Lane on the 10^th.

However Bolton allotment societies (as part of this awareness raising and also to raise much-needed funds to maintain and improve allotments sites) aim to extend this initiative throughout August with a programme of activities that all the community can join in with.

By opening up our allotment sites and inviting the local community to see what happens behind the gates, our hope is that more people will begin to see the benefits allotments bring and support us in our efforts to protect and improve existing sites. Allotments not only benefit those who garden the plots, from families and school children through to working couples and retired individuals but also provide habitats for wildlife and help to keep towns and cities breathing.

PROGRAMME OF EVENTS ON ALLOTMENTS SITES – AUGUST 2014

August 3rd          SAPLING ROAD                 OPEN DAY (at the allotment site)

August 10^th         HARPERS LANE                  OPEN DAY AND FLOWER & VEGETABLE SHOW

                                                                                (At the allotments site)

includes               ABAS                                     BOROUGH-WIDE ALLOTMENTS COMPETITIONS

                                                                                (Presentation of Prizes by Cllr Bashir-Ismail)

 August 16^th         TONGE FOLD                      VEGETABLE SHOW (At Trinity Methodist)

August 16^th         SHEPHERD CROSS ST.     BARBECUE - (At the allotments site)

August 23^rd         SHEPHERD CROSS ST.     CAR BOOT SALE (At the allotments site)

August 30^TH        MOSS LEA                            OPEN DAY (At the allotments site)

August 30^th         FLORENCE AVENUE         OPEN DAY (At the allotments site)

IF ANY OTHER SITES ARE ORGANISING EVENTS PLEASE LET US KNOW - boltonallotments2014@yahoo.co.uk

 

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Allotment Competitions

The prizes in the Borough-wide allotments Competitions (Fairhurst, Greenhalgh and New Entrants) will be presented on 10th August 2014 at 3.00 p.m. in the show marquee at Harpers Lane's Open Day.

The presentation will be made by Councillor Sufrana Bashir-Ismail the Executive Member with responsibility for Allotments on Bolton Council.

The prizes have been generously sponsored by J Maher Limited (Garden Supplies) - Lever Edge Lane, Bolton.

We hope that as many as possible will turn up to support the winners and runners-up.

The Harpers Lane site is off Church Rd., Bolton between Harpers Lane and Captains Clough Road. There is a 501 bus stop within 100 metres of the entrance. It's also very close to Moss Bank Park. The Open Day itself starts at 12.00 and runs through to 4.00 p.m.

Calls for Information

1. The National are seeking information on sites with projects involving Bee-keeping 

If your site has such a project or are planning one, please contact Di Appleyard on diane@nsalg.org.uk


2. National Allotment Week is 4th to 10th August - we have an electronic copy of the promotions guide produced by the National which we can copy on to you (boltonallotments2014@yahoo.co.uk) alternatively you can go to the National's website (where you can also order posters)

As you may know ABAS is having the presentation of the annual allotments trophies at Harpers Lane's Open Day on the 10th. of August. The prizes will be presented by Cllr Sufrana Bashir-Ismail the Executive Member at Bolton Council with responsibility for the Allotments Service.

We'd like to hear of any other Allotment Week events that sites may be planning.

3. Open Days - we have two open days on the calendar at present - Harpers Lane on 10th August and Florence Avenue on the 30th August. We'd like to publish an Events Programme if possible so if you could let us have details of shows, open days, etc. then we'll do our best to get the message out.

4. The next ABAS meeting is on Monday 14th July 2014 at 8.00 p.m. at Astley Bridge Cricket Club - the meeting will include an update provided to ABAS by the Allotments Desk on Council progress with OMAs and other matters relating to Allotments management..We hope this will become a regular feature.

Minutes 09/06/2014

MINUTES – ABAS MEETING 09/06/2014

ASTLEY BRIDGE CRICKET CLUB

Attendance: 25 delegates from 11 sites

 The Chair opened the meeting by welcoming everyone

The Minutes of the last meeting were passed by the meeting

Matters Arising from the last meeting

The CVS bid has been submitted

 

Matters Arising in the Interim between Meetings

The following matters had been raised by members and discussed with the Council.

• Inclusion of Forward plans in the OMA – see blog-site
• Jurisdiction of Societies over non-members under the OMA – see blog-site
• Dealing with aggressive and abusive tenants

o   The Council have stated that abusive behaviour towards Society officers and other tenants will be treated as a breach of tenancy and dealt with as such. If problems arise societies should collect evidence and submit this to Malcolm Russell.

• Permission for events under OMAs

o   Societies should submit a calendar of events together with details of their insurance provision to the Council as part of the OMA

• Creating a Welcome Booklet

o   Some sites wish to create welcome booklet for new tenants – ABAS has obtained copies of useful documents from the North-West Counties Allotments Association. Societies can access these by emailing boltonallotments2014@yahoo.co.uk

 

Progress on OMAs

·         Harpers Lane have completed their OMA

·         Florence Avenue are currently completing their OMA

·         9 other sites are at various stages of the process

·         One site (Lowndes Street) has decided not to pursue an OMA

 

Competition

Terry Farrell reported that eight sites have entered with a total of twenty plots for judging overall. The first round of judging will be completed on Tuesday 10^th June. The judges were very pleased with the standard of the plots seen so far. The final round of judging starts July 14^th.

 

It was suggested form the floor that the presentation of prizes should take place at Harpers Lane Open Day (August 10^th) and that the Mayor should be approached to present the prizes.

 

Any Other Business

• Sapling Rd enquired as to the position of structures left on plots when they become vacant. The Assistant Secretary promised to follow this up with the Council and post the results on the blog-site.
• Haslam Park and Dealey Rd. need help in forming a constituted society. ABAS will provide assistance as asked. (Terry Farrell has offered to visit and attend a site meeting.
• Cemetery RD Farnworth reported that reinstatement work following repairs to the cemetery retaining wall has not been carried out as agreed. In particular repairs have not been made to fencing and some plots have been left unusable. Terry Farrell and Jeff Gibson will visit and report back to ABAS.
• The meeting was informed that CVS (The Hub) is hosting a workshop on the 9^th July on ‘How to find the right grant” – details via the CVS website

Meeting Closed

Date and Venue of next meeting: 8.00 p.m. 14^th July at Astley Bridge CC

 

 

Structures on Transferred Plots

At the last ABAS meeting, the question was raised as to what was the correct procedure when a plot became vacant and there was a structure on it – e.g. a shed, a greenhouse or a chicken run.

We’ve discussed this with the Council and our current interpretation of the situation is as follows:-

Where the outgoing tenant is available then the Site Society should attempt to broker a settlement between the outgoing tenant and the incoming tenant – this settlement may or may not include payment. If this can be achieved then the incoming tenant then takes over the structure. The Site Secretary should ensure that there is a signed document in which the outgoing tenant gives up any title to the structure. There have been a number of cases reported in the national journal of tenants returning to a site after having left and trying to reclaim a structure - usually a metal framed greenhouse which is readily transportable.

If the incoming tenant does not wish to take over the structure then it is the outgoing tenant’s responsibility to remove it within three weeks of terminating their tenancy. If the structure is in reasonable condition and could be transferred from its existing position onto another plot then the site society may acquire ownership of the structure (in agreement with the outgoing tenant) and take responsibility for its transfer within 3 weeks (again payment may or may not be involved). Again the outgoing tenant should relinquish any claim to the structure in writing.

These are the two most desired outcomes – note that both require the Site Society to contact and gain the agreement of the outgoing tenant.

The Tenancy Regulations state that if the structure is not transferred to the incoming tenant or otherwise removed from the plot the Council will remove it and recharge any costs incurred to the outgoing tenant. In practice this rarely happens and the structure is simply left on the plot.

In this case:-

a)      If there is no gap in tenancy of the plot, the ownership of the structure, and/or the responsibility for its removal, effectively transfers to the incoming tenant. – but note our previous comment about former tenants returning(outside a reasonable period)  to try to reclaim structures.- here at least one society has had strong and effective support from the Council  when resisting such claims on behalf of the new tenant

b)      If there is a gap in tenancy then the structure becomes the property of the council until such time as the plot is re-let (and thus cannot be resold or given away by the Site Society as has been the previous practice of some Secretaries). Once a new tenant has taken on the plot a) above applies.

 

In effect an unwanted structure / ownerless structure is a form of waste.

 

The Council’s stance that they will not remove redundant structures extends to waste on vacated plots in general. The only waste they will remove is hazardous waste (the prime example of which is asbestos).

 

In other circumstances the incoming tenant takes on the plot “as seen” – the Council will not be clearing plots, providing top soil or any of the other tasks which TV programmes seem to suggest get done for new allotment holders.

It is always open to Societies to organise volunteer groups to clear abandoned plots (whether by designating them as community plots or not). However you should ensure that any society doing this either has Volunteer Insurance or gets the members of any working party to sign a suitable disclaimer form. This option is probably most applicable to Societies with OMAs.

 

The Council has in the past suggested that this might be an area for co-operation with bodies such as Community Payback.

5-year plan

Under proposed OMA arrangements sites are invited to submit a 5-year forward plan.

So far we think that the following elements could usefully be included:-

PROJECT LIST - a list of the site management and improvements projects (such as installing composting toilets) that the Society would hope to undertake with some kind of timeline. It would be useful to indicate where such projects would be the subject of grant applications and to indicate where support from the Council in the forms of letters of understanding, building leases. etc. would be needed.

PROGRAMME OF EVENTS - particularly annual and seasonal events - whether fundraising or other - it would be especially relevant to state if the monies from these events are intended to fund the projects referred to earlier  .

COMMUNITY OUTREACH - any initiatives that the Society might hope to innovate with other community groups e.g. having a café in the Amenities Hut once a week, linking surplus produce to Food Banks and / or projects like the recent Diggers' Kitchen initiative, or working with local schools.

Any ideas about formats and content would be gratefully received at ABAS (boltonallotments2014@yahoo.co.uk) and we'll do our best to circulate them.