Minutes of the OPEN Meeting of the Paignton Home Garden & Allotment Society held at the ROAB Club, Paignton on Monday 7 March 2016.

Present:  K & J Parker, F Cotton, E Barnes, G Buckingham, S & P Marriott, C Weymouth, J Wallis, P Moore, A Smith, T Clarke, P Messenger.

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting.
 
1.    Apologies: J Green, C Guiver 

2.    Minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved.

3.    Matters arising from the minutes:

• Padlocks are still on the DR gate.
• Leases – for the 3 sites have not yet been finalised. They are with the Council.
• Lower Penns trees – quite a lot of work has been done, but there is still an oak and ash tree to be trimmed back.

 
4.    Correspondence:

• Applications for the waiting list.
• Chairman has received a letter from the plotholder on LP next to the toilet block. She raised a number of complaints in particular about being asked to remove her personal items from the shed. The letter was discussed in detail and the site rep on LP says that once again, she has been offered another shed, but has declined this. The committee agreed that we cannot get away from the fact that the toilet is for the use of everyone on the site and is therefore a communal facility. If she chooses to put personal items in the shed it must be at her own risk, especially as she has been offered an alternative. In any event, items placed here must be kept to a minimum. The room will have to be maintained soon and so will have to be cleared in any event.
• With regard to the allocation of plots – this is done strictly in date order as to when a name went on the waiting list.

 
5.    Chairman's Report:

• Chairman has researched prices for chicken pellets – Grow Organic comes out at £6.40 plus vat per bag for a 60 bag pallet (£7.68 each inc. vat). After discussion, it was agreed that we would order a pallet and store these across the sites.
• Top dressing - 15kg bag of fertiliser - particularly good for beans apparently. 36 bag pallet £4.85 + vat = £5.82. Again we agreed to but a pallet.
• The importance of feeding plots was stressed, especially after the wet winter when all the goodness in the soil will have been washed out. 
• The chicken pellets and top dressing will be delivered after 16 March.  Please can plotholders see Alan on Oakleigh site or their site rep, or email me if they would like some.
• The National Allotment Society AGM is to be held in York on 4 June 2016.

 
6.    Vice Chairman's Report:

• The plotholder on 41/42 must be asked to clear his property so the plots can be relet.
• 13 Oakleigh has not been maintained and the plotholder will be asked to clear their property so the plot can be relet.
• We discussed the cost of getting a skip delivered to the site to get rid of ex-plotholders rubbish. The Chairman reported that this was historic and went back to when the Council were in charge of the sites and plotholders brought any amount of things on to the site, which remained there after they left.  The cost would be in excess of £200 and this was excessive, given the annual cost of a plot. It would be more realistic to monitor what plotholders brought on to the site.

7.    Treasurer's Report:

• Current account: £773.11
• Deposit account: £1,419.97
• Rents received to date: £676.00           
• Cheques:
  • SW Water - Lower Penns        £6.06

 
8.    Sites:
Derrell Road

• No site inspection due to bad weather.

Lower Penns

•  26        The plotholder has left his rotivator to the Society. Colin Waymouth agreed to deliver this to the Oakleigh site so it could be kept under lock and key there. Secretary was to write and thank plotholder.

 
Oakleigh

• 13, 41 and 42    sec it to write and give plotholders14 days to clear  plot.
• 30b and 33b     still recovering after injuries.

 
9.    AOB:

• Discussion took place about a motion being put forward at the AGM about a deposit being paid at the time of a plot being let, refundable if the plot was left in a reasonable condition on leaving. The idea behind this would be a deterrent to people leaving rubbish and debris on the site when they left. To be discussed.

 
10.    Date of next committee meeting:

• To be held on Monday 4 April 2016 at 7.30pm at the RAOB Club.

 
Meeting closed at 8.20pm.