WSHA March 2024 Minutes
Minutes of Witham St Hughs Allotment Committee meeting held on Tuesday 26th March 2024. at 7.30pm, in the village hall.
Present Cllr Karen Harrison, Cllr Derek Fletcher, Stuart Traves & Claire Shepherd - Cargill Representatives, & Vicky Trotter.
Rachel Popplewell – Parish Clerk.
2 members of public.
Comments were received from the public saying that the new incinerators are now being used. Although they had been kicked around the allotments and the lids have been used as Frisby’s. A plot holder has manipulated them back into shape, although the lids now don’t fit as well.
The carpark is still flooded on occasions and the grass areas are boggy, due to the exceptional amount of rain.
Agenda Items
1. Welcome & Apologies
Apologies were received and accept from Cllr Danny Bell & Electra Pearce.
2. TO RECEIVE DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LOCALISM ACT 2011 – being any pecuniary interest in agenda items not previously recorded on Members’ Register of Interest and requests for dispensations.
Cargill representatives – Stuart Traves & Claire Shepherd.
Vicky Trotter – plot holders.
3. Notes of the Allotment Committee meeting held on Monday 29th January 2024 to be approved as minutes.
It was Resolved to approve the notes as minutes and a true record, signed by the Chair. All Agreed – show of hands.
4. Clerks update & correspondence – to Resolve to approve and subsequent actions.
The Clerk made comment that a notice board had been put up in the communal shed, to display notices, agenda & minutes etc.
A new Facebook group has been set up by the Parish Council, plot holders are encouraged to join as the ‘old’ one is longer being used.
FB page - WSH PC Allotment Plot Holders. (Must ‘like’ the Parish Council Page first).
5. To review Income & Expenditure for the Allotments.
The Clerk made comment that the bank balance as at 25.03.2024 was £6,330.07.
Income for this year being £1,475.50.
Expenditure being £ 1,490.81.
Deposit money is ring fenced.
All plot holders’ invoices, except for 2, have been paid for the next financial year.
6. Inspections update & to set the date for the next inspections.
Inspections had been carried out by Committee members, with the majority agreeing that the Allotment Plots are much improved – well done.
Plot holders were reminded that no waste/rubbish is to be dumped on the boundary with Germinal as this creates a bund so water cannot escape into the dyke.
Date of next inspections – Saturday 27th April 9.30am. Plot holders are encouraged to stay behind after the inspections, to help clear the rubbish from empty plots, burn any remaining wood, and then take a bag of rubbish home with them.
7. Report from Liaison Officers to include.
a. Vacant Plots – 8 half plots, 2 full plots.
b. Rubbish remaining on the plots – following the last inspections, more plots have been vacated leaving waste behind, which includes broken glass, plastic pots & wood.
It was suggested that after the inspections in April that plot holders take a bag of rubbish home with them so to avoid the cost of hiring another skip.
Committee member Vicky Trotter proposed that the incinerators could be used until the end of April, as the conditions have been so wet, any wood left behind is too wet to be burnt. Seconded by Stuart Traves. All agreed – show of hands. Plot holders reminded that this is a one-off occasion.
c. Comments were received that a couple of sheds and poly tunnels had been broken into, nothing had been stolen and the locks had been put back on. Plot holders were reminded not to leave valuables in their sheds or on the plots. Should anything be stolen please report it to the police by phoning 101.
8. Date & time of the next Allotment meeting.
Thursday 6th June 2024 at 7pm
Meeting closed 8.23pm