Albemarle Allotments Association
(Website: www.albemarleallotments.org.uk)
Minutes of Meeting on Sunday 5th September 2010
Present:
Committee Members: Secretary: Joan Phillips, Treasurer: Robin Williams, Webmaster: Barry Aelion, Jim Chadwick, Phillippa Superville, Sonia Zajdel, Pat Quigley.
Association Members: Dawn Baccus, Nia Harper, Bridget Superville.
Non Association Members: James Maddocks, Leslie Walsh
Apologies: None
ITEM
1.0
Secretary’s Report:
1.1
The new gates: I am aware that two locked gates are a nuisance, especially to car and van drivers, but I note that the new gates and fencing works seem to have deterred a lot of roaming gangs of kids up to mischief on the site during the summer holidays. The lock on the front gate has been replaced, as it was causing a lot of problems, and has now become totally unworkable. It is now in the skip, and the last of our new locks has replaced it.
Discussion: Several members stated that they had found the gates wide open on several occasions. This needs to be addressed. Our plotholders have constantly complained about the security of the site for many years, and the Section 106 monies looked like we could finally solve this problem, but if they themselves will not follow basic security protocols, the many thousands of pounds spent will be wasted. I will issue notices and Sonia Zajdel has agreed to laminate them. Dawn Baccus also volunteered to laminate any signs.
JP to produce signs.
1.2
Works on site: The skip was ordered on 22nd July, also I have e-mailed and attempted to phone Ken Wilson (the Allotment Manager) on a half dozen occasions about various issues – works to the car park area, to create raised disabled beds – works in car park area to create a community orchard – unfinished works to back gate on Meltham Avenue – unfinished works to create more car parking beside the new composting bays – works to provide a wildlife pond and apiary on site. All these works are funded by the Section 106 monies, to which we are entitled, and does not come out of the Manchester Leisure budget.
I have also been chasing Ken about the uncollected skip and our wood bay.
Update: Ken Wilson has finally got in touch with me. He had accrued a lot of holiday time, and chose to take it over the school summer holidays to spend with his family. Good on you Ken, I can’t fault you for that. Family always comes first.
Unfortunately, his workload has descended into chaos. Their Skip contractors are refusing to deliver or remove skips until some (disputed) bills are paid by the Council. Also their Main Contractor (who was supposed to do the works to our car park and pond area) has quoted a figure out of all proportion to the works involved - £20,000. (Note: this same Contractor is also working on a prestigious development in City Center Manchester, so is not interested in messy little jobs like ours.
(I am sure that if we were allowed to choose our own contractors, we could cost the works at £2,000 to £3,000).
Further update: Ken has arranged that the wood bay will be emptied, which will take place between the weekends 17th to 20th and 24th to 27th Sept. Also, because of the dispute with the current supplier of skips he is going to arrange with a new contractor to deliver a very large skip to our site. It’s volume is at least 4 times larger (and it’s cost is over double). Because of it’s size, I envisage that it may cause some plotholders problems – but we do have composting bays, and all of us have green and black bins at home.
The works have been completed on the fencing to the back gate on Meltham Avenue.
1.3
Pond on the Railway Embankment: I was contacted by Peter Statham, a Contractor for the Metro Line development on Tuesday 31st August. His firm will be developing the wildlife pond and bog pool on the railway embankment (as agreed with GMPTE). Their access will be through our site, so this may cause some inconvenience to plotholders who regularly bring or park their cars down the path that adjoins the railway line.
I also invited Cllr Norman Lewis, and contacted James Critchley’s office (GMPTE) . Cllr Lewis is the MCC Ecology Officer, and has serious concerns about the destruction of wildlife down the cutting. He kindly attended with an associate. Also in attendance was a representative from James Critchley’s office with an associate.
The main points of the meeting were: (1) that GMPTE should release their ecological reports, produced by their employees, Aecom, to the many conservationist groups in the area (currently they are secret). (2) that all the works to our embankment will be assessed prior to work, to identify live animal earths, and an Ecologist will be present throughout the works to prevent any damage (although foxes are considered a pest, it is still not acceptable to bury them alive).
James Critchley’s representative (GMPTE) was evasive on (1) and would not commit. I suggested that Jim Critchley contact me, and I would give him earache. It is not acceptable that a public body like GMPTE should withhold this information from all the conservation groups involved. (and are up in arms about the damage that is being done to our biodiversity).
On point (2) Jim Crichley’s representative agreed that an Ecologist would be present at all times, and would stop the works if an animal earth was breached.
Works have now started on the embankment, and an Ecologist was present.
One of our plotholders, Alison, spoke to her, and pointed out to her some indications of animal activity.
1.4
Albemarle Allotments – A botanical Gem?: Well, not exactly, we are not Kew Gardens, but we are a bit special as we represent English Nature at it’s best. Our food plants, our weeds (including brambles, nettles, and a host of others) encourage a lot of wildlife. When did you last see so many different butterflies, or birds, bumblebees or interesting beetles?
Dave Bishop is a botanist I met a couple of years ago through my contacts with the ecological groups interested in the wildlife of our area, namely the old railway line.
I met up with him recently and took him round part of our site. and he was delighted by our diversity of weeds. We have two different types of bindweed (which doesn’t surprise me), the common and American (or greater), and another plant that looks like bindweed but isn’t related. We also have all three species of a weed, common to our site, but seen little elsewhere. There is also the “little” nettle, an annual, and a bit rare. We found one plant.
Dave will be doing a full and documented survey in the near future. I have always thought that our site was special, due to it’s biodiversity, and now it appears it is, and our weeds are the reason. Tidy allotment sites, like tidy gardens, do not encourage wildlife, due to their limited range of food plants.
2.1
Treasurers Report: Robin Williams confirmed that the shop sales and seed sales, plus the profits we made on the rents, would absorb the rent increase imposed by MCC for 2010 of £3.00 per 300 sq yard plot (larger or smaller plots pro-rata). He could not confirm this rent increase would be passed on in subsequent years, but was hopeful that our Association could discount MCC’s rents to our members benefit. He will be adding a note in the rent notices, which go out early October, to advise plotholders that the rents may be increased next year. This is because we have to give 12 months notice of any rent increase, but there is a good chance that if the rents remain the same from MCC, this increase will not be passed on.
3.1
Other Matters: Members were asked for questions.
3.2
Ms Leslie Walsh complained that hedges and verges were poorly maintained, and that plotholders should be advised of this, as they could cause scratch damage to their vehicles. Ms Walsh is not the first to complain about overgrown hedges, but the previous complainant was driving a large van through our site, and chose to ‘trim’ other plotholders hedges without consent.
Also, it is in the rule book that tenants should keep their outer borders under control, so as not to cause a nuisance.
Update: On an unrelated matter (the Metrolink works to the embankment) Ken Wilson (the MCC Allotment Manager) and I walked partly round the site, and he remarked about the state of our paths, caused by vehicles (ruts and cracking of the tarmac, which encouraged weeds, and further damage). The paths were designed only for pedestrian traffic, and the present state of the paths shows this. He said that cars and vans should be totally banned from the site before the damage becomes any worse. In the meantime weeds growing through the paths should be sprayed with a strong long lasting systemic weedkiller to minimize further damage.
(On a personal note, I, and some of my colleagues remember the days before we got our tarmac paths – there were ruts in the compacted soil paths that you could twist into and end up in a heap – and winter was horrendous – slimy, muddy, linear ponds down the entire tract – a nightmare when you are pushing a full barrow to the skip.) No “Health & Safety” or ‘injury lawyers’ in those days, fellow allotmenteers!!
The paths were laid down about over 20 years ago, at considerable expense to the Council, and were not designed for cars or vans, only people and barrows. Ken Wilson said we should impose an immediate ban.
This is a matter we will have to bring up in Committee. It will cause a considerable amount of inconvenience to a small number of plotholders, who really don’t need to park their vehicles near their plots, and could walk from the carpark. But the greatest inconvenience would be to those who have ordered cow manure, or paving or other heavy items to be delivered. They will have to arrange to move them from the car park area, and that will be a serious problem to some.
The Committee will have to discuss various issues, like
(1) Restrict entry to general vehicular traffic, and how do we enforce this?
(2) Only allow delivery vehicles, which tend to be heavy lorries, or tractors delivering manure?
(3) In the worst case scenario, Impose a total ban?
Getting back to the point. Plotholders are responsible for their borders, their fencing and hedges. They should not cause a nuisance to other plotholders by allowing their border plants to become a nuisance. But It is a gray area if the complainants vehicle is scratched on a non-essential visit (i.e. not delivering compost/manure/paving, etc.
3.3
Committee Meeting. Our next meeting will be on the first Sunday in February, at 12 noon. The site cabin will also open on this date between 10.30 am and 12 noon, and every Sunday thereafter.
(Website: www.albemarleallotments.org.uk)
Minutes of Meeting on Sunday 5th September 2010
Present:
Committee Members: Secretary: Joan Phillips, Treasurer: Robin Williams, Webmaster: Barry Aelion, Jim Chadwick, Phillippa Superville, Sonia Zajdel, Pat Quigley.
Association Members: Dawn Baccus, Nia Harper, Bridget Superville.
Non Association Members: James Maddocks, Leslie Walsh
Apologies: None
ITEM
1.0
Secretary’s Report:
1.1
The new gates: I am aware that two locked gates are a nuisance, especially to car and van drivers, but I note that the new gates and fencing works seem to have deterred a lot of roaming gangs of kids up to mischief on the site during the summer holidays. The lock on the front gate has been replaced, as it was causing a lot of problems, and has now become totally unworkable. It is now in the skip, and the last of our new locks has replaced it.
Discussion: Several members stated that they had found the gates wide open on several occasions. This needs to be addressed. Our plotholders have constantly complained about the security of the site for many years, and the Section 106 monies looked like we could finally solve this problem, but if they themselves will not follow basic security protocols, the many thousands of pounds spent will be wasted. I will issue notices and Sonia Zajdel has agreed to laminate them. Dawn Baccus also volunteered to laminate any signs.
JP to produce signs.
1.2
Works on site: The skip was ordered on 22nd July, also I have e-mailed and attempted to phone Ken Wilson (the Allotment Manager) on a half dozen occasions about various issues – works to the car park area, to create raised disabled beds – works in car park area to create a community orchard – unfinished works to back gate on Meltham Avenue – unfinished works to create more car parking beside the new composting bays – works to provide a wildlife pond and apiary on site. All these works are funded by the Section 106 monies, to which we are entitled, and does not come out of the Manchester Leisure budget.
I have also been chasing Ken about the uncollected skip and our wood bay.
Update: Ken Wilson has finally got in touch with me. He had accrued a lot of holiday time, and chose to take it over the school summer holidays to spend with his family. Good on you Ken, I can’t fault you for that. Family always comes first.
Unfortunately, his workload has descended into chaos. Their Skip contractors are refusing to deliver or remove skips until some (disputed) bills are paid by the Council. Also their Main Contractor (who was supposed to do the works to our car park and pond area) has quoted a figure out of all proportion to the works involved - £20,000. (Note: this same Contractor is also working on a prestigious development in City Center Manchester, so is not interested in messy little jobs like ours.
(I am sure that if we were allowed to choose our own contractors, we could cost the works at £2,000 to £3,000).
Further update: Ken has arranged that the wood bay will be emptied, which will take place between the weekends 17th to 20th and 24th to 27th Sept. Also, because of the dispute with the current supplier of skips he is going to arrange with a new contractor to deliver a very large skip to our site. It’s volume is at least 4 times larger (and it’s cost is over double). Because of it’s size, I envisage that it may cause some plotholders problems – but we do have composting bays, and all of us have green and black bins at home.
The works have been completed on the fencing to the back gate on Meltham Avenue.
1.3
Pond on the Railway Embankment: I was contacted by Peter Statham, a Contractor for the Metro Line development on Tuesday 31st August. His firm will be developing the wildlife pond and bog pool on the railway embankment (as agreed with GMPTE). Their access will be through our site, so this may cause some inconvenience to plotholders who regularly bring or park their cars down the path that adjoins the railway line.
I also invited Cllr Norman Lewis, and contacted James Critchley’s office (GMPTE) . Cllr Lewis is the MCC Ecology Officer, and has serious concerns about the destruction of wildlife down the cutting. He kindly attended with an associate. Also in attendance was a representative from James Critchley’s office with an associate.
The main points of the meeting were: (1) that GMPTE should release their ecological reports, produced by their employees, Aecom, to the many conservationist groups in the area (currently they are secret). (2) that all the works to our embankment will be assessed prior to work, to identify live animal earths, and an Ecologist will be present throughout the works to prevent any damage (although foxes are considered a pest, it is still not acceptable to bury them alive).
James Critchley’s representative (GMPTE) was evasive on (1) and would not commit. I suggested that Jim Critchley contact me, and I would give him earache. It is not acceptable that a public body like GMPTE should withhold this information from all the conservation groups involved. (and are up in arms about the damage that is being done to our biodiversity).
On point (2) Jim Crichley’s representative agreed that an Ecologist would be present at all times, and would stop the works if an animal earth was breached.
Works have now started on the embankment, and an Ecologist was present.
One of our plotholders, Alison, spoke to her, and pointed out to her some indications of animal activity.
1.4
Albemarle Allotments – A botanical Gem?: Well, not exactly, we are not Kew Gardens, but we are a bit special as we represent English Nature at it’s best. Our food plants, our weeds (including brambles, nettles, and a host of others) encourage a lot of wildlife. When did you last see so many different butterflies, or birds, bumblebees or interesting beetles?
Dave Bishop is a botanist I met a couple of years ago through my contacts with the ecological groups interested in the wildlife of our area, namely the old railway line.
I met up with him recently and took him round part of our site. and he was delighted by our diversity of weeds. We have two different types of bindweed (which doesn’t surprise me), the common and American (or greater), and another plant that looks like bindweed but isn’t related. We also have all three species of a weed, common to our site, but seen little elsewhere. There is also the “little” nettle, an annual, and a bit rare. We found one plant.
Dave will be doing a full and documented survey in the near future. I have always thought that our site was special, due to it’s biodiversity, and now it appears it is, and our weeds are the reason. Tidy allotment sites, like tidy gardens, do not encourage wildlife, due to their limited range of food plants.
2.1
Treasurers Report: Robin Williams confirmed that the shop sales and seed sales, plus the profits we made on the rents, would absorb the rent increase imposed by MCC for 2010 of £3.00 per 300 sq yard plot (larger or smaller plots pro-rata). He could not confirm this rent increase would be passed on in subsequent years, but was hopeful that our Association could discount MCC’s rents to our members benefit. He will be adding a note in the rent notices, which go out early October, to advise plotholders that the rents may be increased next year. This is because we have to give 12 months notice of any rent increase, but there is a good chance that if the rents remain the same from MCC, this increase will not be passed on.
3.1
Other Matters: Members were asked for questions.
3.2
Ms Leslie Walsh complained that hedges and verges were poorly maintained, and that plotholders should be advised of this, as they could cause scratch damage to their vehicles. Ms Walsh is not the first to complain about overgrown hedges, but the previous complainant was driving a large van through our site, and chose to ‘trim’ other plotholders hedges without consent.
Also, it is in the rule book that tenants should keep their outer borders under control, so as not to cause a nuisance.
Update: On an unrelated matter (the Metrolink works to the embankment) Ken Wilson (the MCC Allotment Manager) and I walked partly round the site, and he remarked about the state of our paths, caused by vehicles (ruts and cracking of the tarmac, which encouraged weeds, and further damage). The paths were designed only for pedestrian traffic, and the present state of the paths shows this. He said that cars and vans should be totally banned from the site before the damage becomes any worse. In the meantime weeds growing through the paths should be sprayed with a strong long lasting systemic weedkiller to minimize further damage.
(On a personal note, I, and some of my colleagues remember the days before we got our tarmac paths – there were ruts in the compacted soil paths that you could twist into and end up in a heap – and winter was horrendous – slimy, muddy, linear ponds down the entire tract – a nightmare when you are pushing a full barrow to the skip.) No “Health & Safety” or ‘injury lawyers’ in those days, fellow allotmenteers!!
The paths were laid down about over 20 years ago, at considerable expense to the Council, and were not designed for cars or vans, only people and barrows. Ken Wilson said we should impose an immediate ban.
This is a matter we will have to bring up in Committee. It will cause a considerable amount of inconvenience to a small number of plotholders, who really don’t need to park their vehicles near their plots, and could walk from the carpark. But the greatest inconvenience would be to those who have ordered cow manure, or paving or other heavy items to be delivered. They will have to arrange to move them from the car park area, and that will be a serious problem to some.
The Committee will have to discuss various issues, like
(1) Restrict entry to general vehicular traffic, and how do we enforce this?
(2) Only allow delivery vehicles, which tend to be heavy lorries, or tractors delivering manure?
(3) In the worst case scenario, Impose a total ban?
Getting back to the point. Plotholders are responsible for their borders, their fencing and hedges. They should not cause a nuisance to other plotholders by allowing their border plants to become a nuisance. But It is a gray area if the complainants vehicle is scratched on a non-essential visit (i.e. not delivering compost/manure/paving, etc.
3.3
Committee Meeting. Our next meeting will be on the first Sunday in February, at 12 noon. The site cabin will also open on this date between 10.30 am and 12 noon, and every Sunday thereafter.