Minutes of the OPEN Meeting of the Paignton Home Garden & Allotment Society held at the RAOB Club, Paignton on Monday 3 September 2018

Present: Keith & Jane Parker, Alan Smith, Pat Marriott, Flis Cotton, Andrew Bibbings, Liz Barnes, Gary Buckingham, Phil Moore, Joe Wallis, Christine Guiver, Kay Mason, Mr & Mrs Budd.

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting.

1.    Apologies: Jackie Green, Pat Messenger.

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

3.    Matters arising from the minutes:

• Chairman will contact LP plotholder for confirmation that the recent incident at the site has been dealt with.

4.    Correspondence:

• Sec has received requests to join the waiting list and has replied to them all.
• Plotholder on 18a LP has asked about planting fruit trees on his plot, instead of growing crops as they have not been too successful this year. Sec has sent a full copy of the TA and advised that 2/3 of plot must be cultivated and less than 25% put to flowers. Committee agreed that this year had not been a successful growing year for most of them, largely due to the weather.
• Plotholder on 14a DR has reported that the strimmer broke while it was being used. Chairman was aware of this and asked that if anyone was not sure how it should be used, to please ask before borrowing it. He will attempt to put it back together.
• Sec had received an email re tipping in the hedgerows at the LP site. The site reps were aware of the items in question and said the window frames could be used as cold frames and the plastic chair was for people to put produce on – to share with other plotholders, if it was surplus to requirements The site reps agreed to look at it and remove it if it was causing a nuisance.

5.    Chairman’s Report:

• 22 Derrell Road has requested that the large hedge bordering the 2 separate plots, be cut back. He has also requested that water be supplied to those 2 plots. This was discussed at length and it was agreed that for a water supply to be put in the separate side of the site, the road would have to be dug up and pipes laid, involving significant expense and disruption to the Society. The two plots on that side were let on the basis that there was no water supply to them and so this is not going to change. If the plotholder concerned would like access to water, he can either trail a hose across the road to the main site at the times he is at the site, or ask to move to another plot on the main site when one becomes available.
• The Chairman reported that the large metal gate to plots 21 and 22 DR has rusted and will need to be repaired or replaced. Welding will be required to make it secure. If anyone has access to a 7/8ft tall metal gate in reasonable condition that the Society could use, please advise.
• The trees on plot 19 are overhanging to the church and a plotholder has said these may need cutting back. Chairman has spoken to a member of the Church, and they have confirmed that the trees do not bother them and in any event, they are the responsibility of the Council.
• The plotholders from LP attended the meeting in response to the Sec’s letter last month about a bonfire at the site, purported to be on their plot, that had apparently caused a nuisance to a homeowner in Langdon Road. The homeowner had since met with a committee member at the site and had agreed that the smoke had come from the woods rather than the site. Again, this was discussed at length and as well as strenuously denying that they were at the site on the day in question, the plotholders provided photographic evidence that the small bonfires were amongst the trees/copse at the bottom of the plots and were nothing to do with any of the plots on the LP site.  It was agreed that a letter would be drafted to the householder to advise him that the fires had possibly been started by rough sleepers and that they were nothing to do with PHGAS. The chairman agreed that he would possibly contact Torbay Council after further investigation.

6.    Vice Chairman’s Report:

• The green manure had been delivered and is now available for sale. VC reported that he had been charged for delivery and so this would be queried.
• Broad beans will be delivered to the site within the next 7 days and there will not be any PHGAS winter onions this year.
• If orders are required – please could plotholders let us have these before Christmas.

7.    Treasurer’s Report:

• Monies in bank:
  • Current account - £165.38
  • Deposit account - £4,274.11
• Cheques
  • Mole Valley Farmers - 100331 - Sawdust - £21.12
  • SW Water - 100333 - LP Water - £189.83
  • Sainsburys - 100334 - Toilet Rolls - £6.00
  • Morrisons - 100335 - BBQ - £127.65
  • Poundland/Iceland - 100336 - BBQ - £227.20
  • SW Water - 100337 - LP Water - £210.69
  • DGM - 100338 - Strimmer parts - £15.82
    
• The Treasurer reported that she thought the BBQ was very successful this year and there was a good turnout. She called for a vote of thanks to Derek and Jenny as they had supplied a lot of food and this was agreed.

8.    Sites:

• Derrell Road
  • 3b – overgrown – sec to send letter and ask intentions
    
  • 10 – this had become extremely overgrown again and sec was asked to send a letter (text received on 6.9.18 to confirm he is giving plot up)
    
  • 13a – ask intentions as overgrown
    
  • 17a – disabled plot – send termination notice as plot not worked.
    
  • 19 – this is now vacant and the sheds will start to be dismantled next week. Chairman reported that other plotholders are leaving their rubbish on this plot, which is very unfortunate. A man with a van may be required if the wood cannot be burned.
    
  • The large tree on the site is being felled gradually as it is over 30 ft tall and is not a fruit tree. It is draining the land of goodness and so there is no requirement for it to remain.
    
• Oakleigh
  • 35a/b – plots not been worked – and no reply to previous letters. Send termination notice
    
• Lower Penns
  • 1a – has now been tidied
  • 7 - will be planting fruit trees on the top half of the plot
  • 19a, 20a and 21a – letters as no cultivation.
  • A plotholder mentioned that people on ‘a’ plots are digging into the path to gain extra ground in their plots. This is making it increasingly difficult to get cars safely up the path. Please can this stop?
• The hedge inside the gate at Oakleigh needs cutting back – please could we have volunteers to attend the site on Sunday 16 September in the morning to help clear this?
  
• The Lower Penns hedge will also need to be cut back later on when It has died down a little.
  

9.    AOB:

• Next month will be the AGM and the committee were reminded that the Chairman and the Treasurer had given notice of resignation last year.
• If anyone would like to nominate themselves for these posts, please either see a site rep or contact us.
• Checks or references may be required for the post of Treasurer due to the sensitive nature of the position.
• Nominations will be accepted on the night of the AGM, but notices of motion or matters for the Agenda must be received by the secretary at least 7 days in advance of the meeting. Please contact the secretary as above.
• Committee was given notice of Pat Messenger’s resignation from the Committee.

10.    Date of next committee meeting:

• AGM to be held on Monday 1st October 2018 at 7.30pm at the RAOB Club. All welcome.

Meeting closed at 8:45pm.