Minutes of the Meeting of the Paignton Home Garden & Allotment Society held at the RAOB Club, Paignton on Monday 4 July 2016

Present: Keith and Jane Parker, Flis Cotton, Liz Barnes, Alan Smith, Joe Wallis, Gary Buckingham, Pat Messenger, Pat Marriott

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting.

1.    Apologies:  Phil Moore, Christine Guiver, Tracey Clarke, Jacqueline Green.

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

3.    Matters arising from the minutes:

• The FUN Veg Show will be held on Saturday 20th August from 11am onwards on the Oakleigh site. Posters will be put up across all 3 sites with more info. ALL WELCOME!
• Buying a dumpy bag to remove waste on the sites was not an option as any glass may leave them damaged and dangerous. It was decided that the Chairman would organise a small/medium skip at the Oakleigh site to be delivered in the morning on Friday 15th July and left just inside the gate. It will be removed at around 3pm on the same day and is only for the removal of metal, plastic or any other non-burnable waste on the site. Any help would be welcome to help with clearing the site in general on the day.

4.    Correspondence:

• We have received an email from St Michael’s Community Association regarding their Summer Fayre on 3rd September (in the park 11am-4pm) asking if PHGAS would like a stall at the event. It was discussed and unfortunately, as it is a term of our Council lease that we are not able to sell our produce, sec will have to decline on behalf of the Society.

5.    Chairman’s Report:

• The Chairman reported the complaint from a nearby householder that a motorised strimmer had been used on the site before 8am. Please do not use any machinery on any site before 8am at the earliest. Be considerate to our neighbours!
• The Chairman has looked again at the draft leases provided by the Council and thinks they look OK. Our main concerns are that the maintenance of the trees and external hedges remain with the Council as they always have, as it would be too onerous for the Society to take on these. The draft leases appear to confirm that the Council will retain responsibility for these. He will look once again and possibly then contact the Council to agree that final leases may be drawn up.
• Derrell Road will shortly be needing a new lawnmower as the wheels on their existing one have fallen apart. Chairman would try to make the current mower last until autumn and then price a replacement in the sales.
• Chairman reported concerns about the bees that were being kept on DR and wondered if they were still insured, despite that they were being looked after by an ex-plotholder from another site. He said he would speak to the owner and establish the position.
• This led to concerns being mentioned about health and safety across the sites in general. Please can we all be aware of any potential health and safety issues on site and minimise the risks where possible.

6.    Vice Chairman’s Report:

• A few plots across the Oakleigh St Michaels site are badly overgrown. Sec has had difficulties in letting these due to their poor condition and so Alan Smith has asked for a volunteer working party to strim a few plots and for general site maintenance, including cutting back the large hedge just inside the gates. It was decided that the morning of Sunday 17th July would be set aside to cut the hedge inside the gate. Please could all volunteers bring shears and secateurs for a 9am start. The more people who help, the quicker the jobs will get done...!

7.    Treasurer’s Report:

• Current account: £125.76
• Deposit account: £4,220.58
• Rents received to date: £3,791.00
• Cheques:
  • S Fry cash mat for toilet (DR)       £4.00
  • SW Water - Lower Penns                £9.16
  • SW Water - Lower Penns                £14.88
  • Organic Fertiliser                               £251.42
  • SW Water – Lower Penns                £26.90
  • K Parker Fuel and toilet rolls DR  £16.50

8.    Sites:
Derrell Road

• 11b - Again, not much cultivation going on and it is peak season now.
• 19 - Plotholder wants to add relatives as co-workers to assist. Sec to await details.

Lower Penns

• No-one from the LP site was at the meeting.

Oakleigh

• 3a - No work had been done and the plot was very overgrown.  The plot was let last month and so work should have started.  Letter 1.
• 7a - Write to plotholder and allow 2 weeks to clear shed as not paid and so lease terminated
• 13a - Plot does not appear to be being used. Committee very disappointed in view of the agreement that was reached at the beginning of the season.  Letter 1.
• 14b - Again, very overgrown.  Ask intentions. Letter 1
• 16b - As above – Letter 1
• 42b - Cheque bounced. £4 bank fee. Sec agreed to write and tell ex plotholder that key deposit would not be refunded due to the bank fee incurred.

9.    AOB:

• The Vice President will be judging all plots this month, with cups being awarded to the ‘Best Kept’ allotments on each site. He will name a first, second, third and ‘highly commended’ plot across all 3 sites. If you received a cup last year, please could this be returned to a committee member.
• Gary Buckingham reported that Jewsons (?) would be able to do maintenance of the Society strimmer and other Society garden equipment, which would be very useful as it was done quickly.

10.    Date of next committee meeting:

• To be held on Monday 1 August 2016 at 7.30pm at the RAOB Club.

Meeting closed at 8.25pm.