Allotments Sub-Committee

Paper B1 - Allotment Sub-Committee - Thursday 1 October 2020

Present:                                 Simon Nicholson – Spital Hill (Chairman)

 

Councillor Matthew Boles

Councillor Dennis Dannatt

Councillor Chris Lambie

Councillor Keith Panter (ex-officio)

 

Gary Spencer – Chairman of Foxby Hill Allotment Association

 

 

In Attendance:

 

Rachel Allbones                      Deputy Clerk & Responsible Finance Officer

Sean Alcock                            Operations Manager

Jessica Flowers                      Admin Support Officer

 

 

 

1. 1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

 

Councillor Harry Clarke

Councillor David Dobbie

Carol Richardson – Showfields

Graham Thomas – North Warren

Richard Parkin – Love Lane

Frank Holmes – Secretary of Foxby Hill Allotment Association

 

Simon Nicolson read a statement regarding accessibility to the meeting for all Sub-committee members.

 

 

2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

 

Simon Nicolson declared a pecuniary interest as a Spital Hill allotment holder, but it was agreed that he would stay in the meeting to advise of any issues on his site.  The Deputy Clerk granted a dispensation for this purpose.

 

Simon Nicolson declared a personal interest in agenda item 7 as his wife wrote the current Allotment Terms & Conditions.

 

 

3. MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING (Paper A)

 

Minutes of the meeting of Allotments Sub-Committee Wednesday 29 January 2020

 

            RESOLVED that the minutes of the   Allotments Sub-Committee held on Wednesday 29 January 2020 were approved as a correct record.

 

Note: Councillors Boles & Panter abstained from voting on the above resolution.

 

04

 

 

4. ALLOTMENT SITE REPORTS (Paper B)

 

1. LOVE LANE

 

            Nothing to report.

 

 

1. NORTH WARREN

 

No report submitted.

 

Simon Nicolson advised that a plot holder had taken time to fit a gate at the site.

 

RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND TO COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE to send a letter of thanks to plot holder for considerable work in constructing and installing a pedestrian access gate from North Warren Road onto the allotments at his own expense.

 

           

iii.        SHOWFIELD

 

Following report was submitted: –

I wish to thank Sean and the team for being so helpful during these past few months. Thank you for cutting back the dividing hedge between the allotments and Richmond park I’m told it has made a big difference.

I have had a few problems with plot holders not willing or able to keep their plots tidy, all but one has been sorted.

I am happy to say Showfield allotments has been running along fine with no other problems.

 

 

1. SPITAL HILL

 

It was requested and RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND TO COMMUNITY SERVICES COMITTEE that: –

• signage be provided for all sites reminding tenants of Covid-19 protection measures;
• a supply of hand sanitiser is provided for each site, and fix to the entrance area
• the Operations Manager to conduct a risk assessment looking at the introduction of new potential tenants coming onto the site and the impact they may have.

 

 

5. SELF MANAGED ALLOTMENT SITE REPORT

 

Gary advised that he had nothing to report.

 

 

6. ALLOTMENT BUDGETS (Paper C)

 

Members NOTED the budget update as provided.

 

Members noted the ear marked reserve position. The Operations Manager was requested to obtain quotations for fencing for North Warren Allotments.

 

 

 

 

 

03

 

 

7. DRAFT TENANCY AGREEMENT AND TERMS & CONDITIONS (Papers D & E)

 

Simon Nicolson read a statement regarding the history of the current tenancy agreement and terms & conditions and his observations of the proposed draft ones.

 

Simon Nicolson proposed that the current tenancy agreement and terms & conditions are reviewed, seconded by Councillor Panter.

 

At the request of Simon Nicolson a recorded vote was taken as follows: –

 

For: – Councillors Lambie and Panter, and Simon Nicolson

Against: – Councillors Boles and Dannatt

 

RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND TO COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE that the current tenancy agreement and terms & conditions are reviewed.

 

 

8. REQUESTS FOR WRITTEN PERMISION (Paper F)

 

The Sub-Committee considered requests for written permission.

 

1. North Warren Allotment, request to keep pigeons

 

Noted that Gainsborough Town Council do not have a Policy for the keeping of pigeons. Only specifications in the current terms and conditions state they must be kept on the North Warren site.

 

Site Secretary has advised he is happy for this loft to be erected but raised concerns regarding increase in vermin if more are allowed on site in future.

 

RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND TO COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE to approve the request from a plot holder to keep pigeons on their plot on North Warren allotments, and look at producing a policy on the keeping of pigeons on the allotment, stating the size of the loft and number of pigeons that can be kept.

 

 

1. Love Lane Allotments, request to keep pigeons

 

Members noted that this request would contravene the current terms and conditions.

 

RESOLVED to defer any decision to a further meeting for further discussion, pending the outcome of the complaint in agenda item 9.

 

 

iii.         Love Lane Allotments, retrospective written permission request for the 1m high fence and for the area to be recognised as a plot

 

Note: Councillor Panter left the meeting at 7.50pm.

 

RESOLVED to defer any decision to the January meeting in order to get clarity on the state of the ground before adopting the area as a recognised plot and discussing the retrospective request to keep the fence.

 

 

 

 

02

 

 

9. PLOTS 20/24 LOVE LANE ALLOTMENT SITE (Paper G)

 

The Sub-Committee considered issues relating to a pigeon loft and fencing at plots 20/24 Love Lane Allotment Site.

 

It was proposed by Councillor Dannatt and seconded by Councillor Boles that the plot holder be requested to remove the fencing around his allotment plot.

 

At the request of Simon Nicolson a recorded vote was taken as follows: –

 

For: – Councillors Boles, Dannatt and Lambie, and Simon Nicolson

 

RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND TO COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE that the fence on plots 20/24 Love Lane allotments be removed.

 

 

Members NOTED a review needs to take place on the permission granted on 30 July 2019 to ensure the plot holder still complies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Councillor Boles advised he had received a complaint regarding bonfires on Showfield allotments.

 

Notices to be made for sites reminding plot holders to be aware of their surroundings when having bonfires as to not to cause a disturbance.

 

 

 

 

 

The meeting concluded at 8.27pm.