WSHA January 2025 Minutes
Minutes of Witham St Hughs Allotment Committee meeting held on Tuesday 14th January 2025 at 7.30pm, in the village hall.
Present Cllr Karen Harrison, Cllr Mark Gascoigne & Stuart Traves - Cargill Representatives.
Rachel Popplewell Parish Clerk
No public comments were received.
Agenda Items
1. Welcome & Apologies
The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting, apologies were received and accepted from – All agreed.
Claire Shepherd, Dawn Moll & Vicky Trotter – Committee Members.
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.
3. Notes of the Allotment Committee meeting held on Tuesday 5th November 2024 to be approved as minutes.
It was Resolved to approve the notes as minutes and a true record, All Agreed – show of hands.
4. Clerks update & correspondence – to Resolve to approve any subsequent actions.
The clerk made comment that the quote for a new lock would be £50.70, this would enable the parish council & plot holders to keep the same key. Action Clerk.
Thanks were passed onto Cargills for clearing the front ditch near the allotments, so keeping the water flowing, plot holders are asked to monitor so it can be kept clear of debris.
5. Report from Liaison Officers.
In the absence of the Liaison Officers (LO) the Clerk made comment that there are 7 half plots and 1 full plot available, with 2 viewing recently carried out by the LO.
Another LO was required for the allotments, an advert to be placed on the FB page. Action Clerk
6. To set Allotment Plot fees for the year 2026/2027.
After discussions it was Resolved to set the following plot fees for 2026/2027 –
Half Plot £30pa
Full Plot £52pa, no changes to the deposit or key deposit. All agreed – show of hands.
7. To discuss chippings for the carpark.
Cllr Gascoigne made comment that the Parish Council have instructed a contractor to carry out repairs to some of the footpaths in the village. As part of the footpath repairs, the top layer would be planed off, creating small chippings. These could then be used to level out the carpark. The Chair asked Cargill representative Stuart Traves if this was permissible under the terms of the lease. Stuart Traves reminded the PC that at the end of the lease the land must return to a field status and therefore any chippings would need to be removed.
After discussion it was Resolved to investigate costs for the delivery & levelling of the chippings.
8. Date and time of next Allotment Inspection/meeting
Meeting - Tuesday 11th March 2025 at 7.30pm.
Inspections – Tuesday 6th May 2025 at 6pm.
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