Minutes of Allotment Committee 25 September 2024

AGENDA

Choppington Parish Council

Allotment Committee

On Wednesday 25th September 2024 at 6.00pm

At Stakeford & Bomarsund Welfare Centre

Agenda

  1. Apologies for absence – Members are reminded of the importance to submit apologies for non-attendance and of the need for the meeting to consider acceptance of these apologies.
  2. Members will identify any declarations of disclosable pecuniary and other registerable personal interest(s). Members are asked to read the note at the foot of this agenda on declarations of interest.
  3. Public Questions – under item 8 allotment tenants have an opportunity to discuss non tenant issues. This item considers non allotment related questions. (see notes for the Public)
  4. Appointment of Chair for 2024/25
  5. Appointment of Vice Chair for 2024/25
  6. To consider and adopt the minutes of the 24 April 2024
  7. Matters Arising.
  8. Parish Clerk’s report. Parish Clerk will present a verbal report updating members on matters of interest.
  9. Tenant open forum – Tenants are invited to discuss allotment issues directly with Members. Space for members of the public will be limited and access will be on a first come first served basis.  Tenants questions can be notified to the Parish Clerk before 12noon on the day of the meeting info@choppingtonparishcouncil.org and will be read out in the meeting during the public session.

Agenda – Part 2

Members will be asked to consider under Standing Order 3a, that in view of the special and confidential nature of the business to be transacted, it is advisable in the public interest that the press and public be excluded and asked to withdraw

 Notes to be read in connection with Agenda Items 2 and 3

 Note for the Public – Members of the public may attend but access will be on a first come first served basis.  Public questions can be notified to the Parish Clerk before 12noon on the day of the meeting and will be read out in the meeting during the public session.  As usual, it is not the Council’s custom to respond during the public session.  Where appropriate the Chairman will inform the resident of the action to be taken, that is, passed to a committee; go on the next agenda; or the points will be taken into consideration if already on the agenda

 Note re Declarations of interest – Members are required to disclose personal and prejudicial interests relating to any matters to be considered at the meeting.  The disclosure must include the nature of the interest.   An interest must also be disclosed in the meeting if it only becomes apparent to the member during the meeting.

If a member who has declared a personal interest then considers the interest to be prejudicial he/she shall declare that, and, after making any representations, answering questions or giving evidence relating to the business, the member shall withdraw from the room for the remainder of the item to which the interest relates.

 Issued by:

 Angela Brindley

Parish Clerk

11 September 2024

 

MINUTES OF THE ALLOTMENT COMMITTEE OF CHOPPINGTON PARISH COUNCIL WEDNESDAY 25 SEPTEMBER 2024 AT THE PARISH COUNCIL OFFICES

 Members present:

Cllr H Allsopp

Cllr K Burn

Cllr J Foster, (Chairman)

Cllr A Iley

Cllr J Rowell

Cllr P S Vaughan

Cllr L Watson

In attendance:

Mrs A Brindley Parish Clerk, Mr D L Nicholson DPC, Mr D Iley FO, and 5 members of the public

A01/24           1.         APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Cllr G Huntley (family commitments) The meeting agreed that these were proper reasons for absence.

A02/24           2.         MEMBERS’ DECLARATION OF DISCLOSABLE PECUNIARY AND OTHER REGISTERABLE INTEREST(S).

Cllr Vaughan declared a personal interest in the Bomarsund site as he maintained an allotment there and if, as the meeting progressed, there became a prejudicial interest he would withdraw from the meeting.

A03/24           3.         PUBLIC QUESTIONS

There were no non-allotment related questions from the public

A04/24          4.        APPOINTMENT OF CHAIRMAN FOR 2024/25

Cllr J Foster being the sole nominee was appointed to serve as Chair for the council year 2024/25

 A05/24         5.          APPOINTMENT OF VICE CHAIR FOR 2024/25

Cllr K Burn being the sole nominee was appointed to serve as Vice Chair for the council year 2024/25

A06/24           6.         TO RECEIVE THE MINUTES OF THE 24 APRIL 2024

The meeting agreed the minutes represented a true record of the meeting, authorising they be signed as such by the Chairman and placed in the public domain.

A07/24             7.           MATTERS ARISING

The Parish Clerk updated the meeting on items discussed in the previous Tenants Open Forum A015/23.7:

  1. The exit onto the A1147 has been eased due to the car that obscured traffic moving from the longstanding spot on the junction.
  2. Willows: this had been progressed with a NCC senior cabinet member who had visited the site.
  3. Uncultivated allotments: A regular reporting system had been set up.
  4. Rats: The reported source of the problem had been relocated however the rat infestation continues.

A08/24          8.        PARISH CLERKS REPORT

  1. There are 5 vacant allotments all unable to be let before work is done on them.

7 allotments have been identified as inactive and are being pursued.

  1. Unadopted road to the main gate:

The Parish Council has accepted a quote from NCC highways to sweep and then overlay with tarmac the entrance outside the allotment main gate.

  1. Break ins

No break ins have been reported since the last meeting.

  1. Allotment Fires

Tenants were reminded that it is exceptional to require a garden fire on plots, however if it is required fire days are Wednesday and Saturday, noting the direction of the wind is not blowing              over Liddells Field play area or neighbouring houses.

  1. Change of meeting schedule

To fit in with the new payment year tenants will receive their invoice in January and will be asked to make payment on a new meeting date of 29th January 2025.  The April meeting will be               cancelled, and the September meeting will remain in the schedule.

A09/24           9.         TENANTS OPEN FORUM

 Issued discussed

Uncultivated allotments

Allotments that are uncultivated cause problems for neighbouring allotments.  The Parish Council agreed to chase up more quickly with those identified during inspections, through a new system had been put in operation after the previous meeting.

Clearance of tracks

The main tracks are kept in check by an external workforce, however internal tracks do get overgrown.  In general, that area directly outside each allotment is cleared by tenants themselves in order to access their own plots and ease access along the track for everyone.  One case, the Parish Clerk had been advised of, was a particularly difficult job to clear, and the Parish Council had undertaken to clear it.  The Deputy Parish Clerk had kept the allotment holder informed of the delay, however due to many circumstances this had been prolonged.  Members gave assurances that the work would be completed as soon as possible.

Water taps

It was brought to the attention of the meeting that the stand pipes were unprotected, and there was concern that during the winter they might freeze.  The Deputy Parish Clerk had purchased the materials and had made up the boxes himself, and asked for volunteers who could assist him in attaching them around the taps.

 

Tenants are requested to contact the office should they have any individual concerns.

 

There being no further items for discussion the meeting closed at 7.05pm

 

 

Chairman………………………………………………      Date………………………