Present: Annie Batten, Fred Pinney (Chair), David Helliwell (Trustee/Lettings), Jane Henderson (Treasurer), Rebecca Pitt-Aikens (Secretary), Karen Robinson
Apologies: David Custerson (Trustee), Penny Moore
Previous last two meetings (2.3.24 & 14.3.24 AGM): Confirmed
Matters arising from the minutes:
- GDPR – Policy updates to be continued. (Karen)
- Petrol – Chair to speak to TT about petrol Czar role. (Fred)
- Old pump – Chair to look into selling/donating/recycling it. (Fred)
- No news regarding lease or flood alleviation scheme.
- Light touch plot inspection approach with ongoing monitoring to be trialled.
Update allottees on findings in due course. Constitution to be amended. (David)
Report from Treasurer
- Rents all paid, with some very minor inaccuracies
- Bank balance – £6,200 ish
Plots and Lettings
- No vacant plots and 18/19 on waiting list
Site
- Paths ongoing. Deans Ham highlighted as the more urgent. Quotes to be obtained to clarify options as well as costs & timescales. (Fred)
Possible funding to be explored (eg Nat Allot Soc). (Annie)
- Communal tool use policy to remain unchanged.
Stihl strimmer is temperamental and shall be replaced with a heavy duty battery one. Research & purchase to be started. (David & Fred)
- Bonfire policy to remain as it is i.e. encouraging allottees to use other methods to dispose of plant waste and clods ie shredding, composting on plot. Any communal fires will be rebuilt before burning to minimise wildlife casualties.
Admin
- The allotment will adopt the Spragglesea@gmail.com email for mailshots. Gmail mailshot for allottees to be set up. (Rebecca & Karen)
Letting enquiries will go to the present email address for David to monitor.
- Working party date was not set until the Chair has followed up the possible volunteer situation.
- Date for the Summer BBQ to be set via WhatsApp poll.
Any other business
- Brash pile needs to be contained in the corner:
- Chair to follow up whether the volunteers could do this. (Fred)
- Ongoing work party job but Annie might tackle sooner. (Annie)
- Electrification of Temple of Mars:
- Chair to clarify the situation so far with KB. (Fred)
- Approach park contacts, to sound out issues. (Annie/David)
- Investigate issues with dampness in the TofM. (Fred)
- Plot letting policy (sharing ownership)
- Clarification of allottee’s intentions required. On this occasion ‘sharee’ could be offered the portion under cultivation due to long term effort. One/two plots made available to waiting list. (David)
- Similar situations to be clarified in future.
- Heavy duty wood chipper
- Reduction of brash could be achieved with better woodchipper. Benefits of rental/buying one and the most suitable type to be researched. (David)
- Use of brash pile to dispose of clods by allottees to be strongly discouraged. Information as to why this is a problem and alternative methods to be circulated. (David & Rebecca)
Items for next meeting
- Newsletter
- Wood chipper
- Summer BBQ
- Gazebo
Date/venue for next meeting
To be decided (WhatsApp poll)