Minutes of the Meeting of the Paignton Home Garden & Allotment Society held at the RAOB Club, Paignton on Tuesday 3 May 2016

Present: Keith and Jane Parker, Alan Smith, Flis Cotton, Liz Barnes, Gary Buckingham, Christine Guiver, Joe Wallis, Tracey Clarke, Pat Marriott.

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting.

1.    Apologies: Philip Moore, Colin Waymouth, Jacquie Green, Pat Messenger.

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

3.    Matters arising from the minutes:

• Dates for Veg show – Joe Wallis was still waiting for dates for other events/commitments, but anticipates it will be around mid-August. Chairman called for volunteers to help in organising the show.
• A new list of committee members for 2016, with contact details, has been put on each noticeboard across the sites.
• An accident occurred on the DR path last month – the plotholder was trying to reverse his car out of the site and went over the edge. Please use extra care on the very sloping path and if possible, do not reverse out of the site.

4.    Correspondence:

• The Chairman had received a letter from Joe Wallis, Vice President, regarding the recent decision to overturn a committee decision to terminate a plotholder’s lease. Joe was concerned that if we overturn this decision, then it would ‘open the floodgates’ in future when leases are to be terminated. The Chairman asked if the committee agreed and if so, called for a vote of no confidence against him. Discussion followed and the Chairman explained that he had been in contact with the plotholder who had asked to appeal against the decision to terminate the lease. As we do not have an appeals procedure as such, sec was asked to email the committee for their views and record the responses. 2 or 3 were against going back on the decision but the remaining committee members suggested that a compromise may be more agreeable in view of the individual circumstances in this particular case. It was also suggested that proper procedure may not have been followed in the run up to the termination notice – ie. letters 1, 2 then 3 and for this reason, the Chairman made the decision to come to a  reasonable compromise. Everyone agreed that this was quite acceptable and that in future, if an appeal was to be made by a plotholder on a committee decision, then at least one committee member from each site would consider the appeal.

5.    Chairman’s Report:

• There was a discussion re: having a skip at the Oakleigh site. As an alternative, B&Q sell large dumpy bags for a price including disposal and these would be cheaper than a skip. Or we could get a skip for strictly metal only – which would be supplied free and we may recover a small amount for the amount of metal recycled. To be investigated further.

6.    Vice Chairman’s Report:

• VC asked whether the Society would be interested in bulk buying seeds from Tuckers. These would work out at about ¼ of the price of packet seeds and could be sold on to all plotholders in quantities as required. Seeds include potatoes, onions, carrots, beans, peas. Committee agreed it seemed a good idea and was probably worth a go now that the major expense of the Oakleigh toilet had been finished. It was too late for this year though, and would be looked at next season.
• VC also mentioned that it may be a good idea for the Society to buy a roll of Geotex groundcover. This works out at £82 per 100m roll x 2m wide. It could then be sold to individual plotholders by the metre and would be cheaper than the usual price.
• Alan Smith has a large roll of fleece on his plot (Oakleigh 5). Any plotholder wanting to buy a quantity to please see him.

7.    Treasurer’s Report:

• Current account: £155.46
• Deposit account: £4,020.15
• Rents received to date: £3,500
• Cheques:
  • K Yelland refund allotment fees  £23.00
  • S W Water – Lower Penns               £9.16

8.    Sites. :
Derrell Road

• All plots let.
• 13a - Not paid. Sec will chase (only recently been let).
• 22 - Unaccompanied children on site. Chairman will speak to plotholder and remind that all children must be accompanied on site at all times.

Lower Penns

• All plots let.
• C Guiver will keep on to council re:  the trees – ongoing.
• Some plots are in a poor condition, but sec reported they had only recently been let in the last week. Agreed to monitor.
• 4 - Needs re-banking.

Oakleigh

• 2 plots still to let.
• 3 x half plots at 41/42 all let.
• Please could all plotholders leave the gate locked at all times.
• 7a - Letter 1.
• 11b - No obvious path down the side as so overgrown.
• 16b - Not paid.
• 27a - Not worked.
• 30b - ?
• 36 - Letter 1.
• 37a - Letter 1.

9.    AOB:

• There will be no Open June meeting as Chairman, treasurer, vice chairman and secretary will all be unable to attend.

10.    Date of next OPEN committee meeting:

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

Meeting closed at 8.35pm.