Minutes of the Open Meeting of the Paignton Home Gardens & Allotments Society held at RAOB Club, Paignton on Monday 1 December 2014 at 7.30pm

Present: Keith Parker, Jane Parker, Flis Cotton, Liz Barnes, Liz Rayner, Anthony Rayner, Gary Buckingham, Philip Moore, C R Weymouth.

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting.

1.    Apologies: Joe Wallis, Jacqueline Green, Pat Messenger, Kay Mason, Christine Guiver, Alan Smith, Pat Marriott, Lin Cane.

2.    Minutes of the previous meeting, held on Monday 1 November were read and agreed.

3.    Matters Arising from the Minutes:

• The Chairman has received confirmation from Torbay Development Agency that due to a reduction in funding, they propose either of 2 options on renewal of the Association lease for the sites: (1) maintenance of the site trees is transferred to the Society or (2) the Council increase the Society rent to offset future expenditure on tree maintenance.  
  
• The Chairman had been in touch with the TDA to discuss and as yet, they are unable to give any figures for the proposed increase in site rent, and so, to a degree, the Society is still in the dark.
  
• The committee agreed with the Chairman that the trees will have to be maintained and that the cost may ultimately be prohibitive to the Society.
  
• The Chairman has also been in touch with the insurers about the insurance position and they confirmed that the trees are insured for public liability if they are kept in good order. If additional cover is required, the cost is likely to be far too high for the Society to meet.
  
• It was decided that no decision could be made on the way forward until the Council provide figures on the proposed rental increase.
  
• The Chairman agreed to keep the Secretary informed of discussions with the Council, so she could circulate the Committee in due course.
  
• There was discussion on where the display cloths, tables and cups were that were supposed to belong to the Society. The asset register had been checked and it was found that most of these items belonged to the Horticultural Society rather than PHGAS (from pre-PHGAS days). The cups had been returned.
  
• Chicken pellets: Secretary was to email plotholders to ask for orders. Final order to be placed early in the New Year. Prices the same as last year.
  

4.    Correspondence:

• Letter from the Torbay development Agency regarding the renewal of the leases (see above).
  
• Letter from RAOB to confirm that the committee have approved PHGAS Committee Meeting dates for 2015. First Monday of each month except Tues 7 April and Tues 5 May 2015 due to Bank Holidays.
  

5.    Chairman’s Report:

• See above
  

6.    Vice Chairman’s Report:

• Not present – nothing to report.
  

 7.    Treasurer’s Report:

• Current Account:        £55.16
  
• Deposit Account:    £1314.49
  
• Cheques this month:

           - Devon Garden Machinery    £300         LP strimmer
           - SW Water                            £12.47      LP water meter

8.    Sites:    

   Derrell Road

• Nothing to report
  

   Lower Penns

• 8 – looking untidy – any progress? Sec agreed to write
  

   Oakleigh – (site inspection recently done)

• 3a – very untidy
  
• 7a/7b – letters
  
• 11 – untidy – letter
  
• 15b – untidy – letter
  
• 33b – untidy – letter
  
• 35b – untidy – letter
  
• 36 -  untidy – letter
  
• 41/42 – no work done again.  Advise plotholder he will have to give up one plot.
  

9.    Any Other Business:

• Secretary advised that we had not heard from the Webmaster and did not know if he was still monitoring the PHGAS site. Secretary agreed to email the webmaster and ask if he would liaise with a new volunteer that had offered to manage the site.
  
• A plotholder mentioned that if anybody wanted to grow a small tree cutting, this could be planted along the route of the new ring road. Please contact Torbay Development Agency or the Council for more information.
  

10.    Date of next Meeting:

• NO JANUARY MEETING
  
• Monday 2 February 2014 at 7.30pm @ RAOB Club
  
• Open meetings: September, December, March, June
  

The meeting finished at 8.15pm.