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Minutes of the Committee meeting held on
Tuesday 22nd July 2025
at the Bank House.
(Short meeting due to other commitments.)

Present: Simon Ellin, Alan Hartley, Karen Appleton, Julie Hilton, Dave Jones, Jane Garner.

7.25.1 Apologies: None

7.25.2 Previous minutes and matters arising.
The minutes from 6th May 2025 were agreed and signed by the chairman.
Covers for empty plots – Ongoing.
Taps – Ongoing.
Screening for toilet – At present this will be difficult as it isn't possible to fix it near to the building and it would have to be installed on the adjacent allotment.
Rotten tap posts – The Parish Council is arranging repairs.
Gate hook – This has disappeared – Mark will be asked to fit a new one. SE, DJ.

7.25.3 Financial report. (22nd July 2025)
WFA funds - £4,587.03
Memorial Garden funds - £575.31
The plant sale made £1,029.25, which has been transferred to the CFR fund.
The rent (£1,949.69) and water charge (£53.78) have been paid to the Parish Council.

7.25.4 2025 AGM - date.
The AGM will now be held on Friday 29th August at 7.30pm in the Memorial Hall.
Jane will email plot holders and will ask for any agenda items to be sent in, at least two weeks before and by 15th August. JG

7.25.5 Rents 2026/7.
The rent charged by the Parish Council is linked to the RPI which has increased by 4.5%. The water charge has also increased so it was agreed that the rents charged to plot holders will have to rise. (See attached sheet.)
The membership fee for Garden Organic will be absorbed from funds.

7.25.6 New project or items from excess funds.
To be discussed at next meeting.

7.25.7 Vacant/uncultivated plots and waiting list.
There is one vacant plot and no-one is on the waiting list.
Several plots have many weeds and there are too many uncultivated areas.
Jane will write to the plot holders concerned asking them to clear the weeds and cover uncultivated sections.
All plot holders will be reminded about the open day and asked to ensure that the site is as tidy as possible.

7.25.8 Use of weedkillers.
To be discussed at the next meeting.

7.25.9 National Allotments Week. (12th-18th August)
The open day will be held on Saturday 16th August and this will be followed by a barbecue for plot holders. The committee will provide the food, but plot holders will be asked to bring their own drinks.
Jane will remind plot holders of the date. JG.

7.25.10 Signs for Composting area.
To be discussed at the next meeting.
MC.

7.25.11 AOB.
None.

Next meeting: Tuesday 5th August at 7.45 in the Bank House.

 

Minutes of the Committee meeting held on
Tuesday 6th May 2025
at the Bank House.

Present: Simon Ellin, Alan Hartley, Karen Appleton, Julie Hilton, Dave Jones, Mark Connell, Jane Garner

5.25.1 Apologies: None.

5.25.2 Previous minutes and matters arising.
The minutes from 18th February 2024 were agreed and signed by the chairman.
Bristor offer – Nothing more has been heard.
Covers for empty plots – Simon will contact Watson's and Ed Weetman's. SE

5.25.3 Financial report (6th May 2025)
WFA total funds - £6,620.39
Memorial Garden funds - £575.31
The rents to the PC (approx. £2,000) have yet to come out, but the accounts are very healthy.
Suggestions for use of funds were discussed:
Website – needs careful consideration of costs and use and we need to look at websites of other allotment associations.
Rotavator – might encourage weeds
Shredder – would be useful for the compost, but would need supervision or one nominated operator.
Outing – visit to a garden or similar.
Covers – still need to find an effective weed suppressant which doesn't shred, and some covers for the compost. Simon will measure up.
Ladder – a new ladder is needed for the compost area (Dave will buy one)
Screening for toilet – Mark will be asked to advise
Taps – Dave will buy and fit a splitter, initially to one tap
Woodchip – Karen will purchase some, if any becomes available
Barbecue – a free barbecue for plot holders after an open day in National Allotments Week (August 12th - 18th)
£300.00 has been paid to the CFR scheme as requested by John Martin, in lieu of the payment for his work on the compost area. SE, DJ.

5.25.4 Vacant/uncultivated plots and waiting list.
There is only one vacant plot at present, but it needs a lot of work or a good cover.
Emails will be sent to two plot holders who have not begun cultivating.
Simon and Jane will do an inspection in the next couple of weeks. JG, SE.

5.25.5 Plant sale. (25th May)
The sale will start at 10.00 and plants will be moved to the Hall from 9.00.
There will also be teas, coffees and cakes for sale.
The sale will be advertised on Face Book and with posters around the village. AH

5.25.6 Garden Organic Seeds.
The seeds from the original request went astray and the replacements arrived much later than had been hoped. They will be kept until next year for a possible competition.

5.25.7 AGM.
Karen will send the accounts to the auditor and will meet Simon to decide on rents for the coming year.
Jane will remind plot holders and will send out a request for agenda items.
KA, JG.

5.25.8 Use of weedkillers.
It has been noticed that some plot holders have been using weedkillers. The protocol for any possible use will be discussed at the next meeting (see Rule m).

5.25.9 National Allotments Week. (12th-18th August)
It was agreed that we should take part in the week, with and open day and plant sale. This would be followed by a barbecue and social event for plot holders.

5.25.10 Composting area.
The area is looking good now and the new ramp seems to be working effectively. There have been several complimentary comments from plot holders.
We now need some simple instructions and Mark offered to work on the wording for a sign. MC

5.25.11 Wooden posts along access path.
Several of the posts supporting the taps are rotten and need replacing. Similarly, the pegs holding the boarding along the path are also disintegrating. Jane will write to the PC so that repairs can be undertaken using ring-fenced money.
JG

5.25.12 AOB.
None

 

Minutes of the Committee meeting held on
Tuesday 18th February 2025
at the Bank House.

Present: Simon Ellin, Alan Hartley, Karen Appleton, Julie Hilton, Dave Jones, Mark Connell, Jane Garner + Joe Craen (PC representative)

2.25.1 Apologies: None.

2.25.2 Previous minutes and matters arising.
The minutes from 19th November 2024 were agreed and signed by the chairman.

2.25.3 Financial report (18th February 2025)
WFA total funds - £6,475.74
Memorial Garden funds - £575.31
Most of the rents have now been paid, but a couple of non-payments will be chased up.
John Martin has very generously donated the £300 owed for his work on the compost bays to the CFR fund.
It is proving difficult to find cover of the right size for the empty plots and the compost bays. It was suggested that Ed Wheetmans might have surplus tarpaulins and this will be followed up. KA

2.25.4 Vacant/uncultivated plots and waiting list.
There are 5 vacant plots at present and no-one on the waiting list. However, Simon recently posted about WFA on Face Book and one person has expressed an interest and is coming to have a look around.
We will try to have the allotments' poster included in a future edition of Compass as a half page, if possible.
Posters will be put in the village notice boards. JH

2.25.5 Compost area refurbishment.
John has completed all the work and there is now a substantial stone ramp and the walls of the bays have been lined with sheep netting.
The stones need compacting to lock them together and Alan will see if he can borrow a Wacker Plate.
We now need a simple, but long-lasting sign to remind people of the dos and don'ts of composting. Mark offered to work on the wording. AH. MC

2.25.6 HMRC.
WFA are now registered with HMRC. There is no tax liability, but they need to know who is responsible for the finances of the organisation and the bank accounts.
For this purpose, the signatories for the bank account are considered to be the trustees and there is no need to form a trust.

2.25.7 AGM.
The AGM will be held on Friday 4th July. Jane will let plot holders know.
JG

2.25.8 Garden Organic.
£30 has been paid for some special seeds which could be used for the basis of a growing competition, but they haven't yet arrived.
WFA membership of Garden Organic will give all plot holders access to some organic gardens around the country. Karen will get in touch to see how this will work in practice. KA

2.25.9 Plant sale.
This will be held on 18th May at 10.00 outside the Memorial Hall. As we have plenty of funds, all profits will be donated to the CFRs.

2.25.10 AOB.
Insurance – The allotments' insurance has been paid from the ring-fenced money held by the Parish Council.
National Allotments Week – This will be from 12th to 18th August and it was agreed that it would be good to take part in some way.
Bristor apprentices – Simon suggested that the apprentices might help to turn over one of the neglected plots, but he hasn't heard back. He will follow it up.
Pub Quiz – The quiz in the Bank House on 30th March will be held in aid of Hixon Green and Clean. Jane will let plot holders know. SE. JG
 

Minutes of the Committee meeting held on
Tuesday 19th November 2024
at the Bank House.

Present: Simon Ellin, Alan Hartley, Karen Appleton, Julie Hilton, Dave Jones, Mark Connell, Jane Garner + John Martin.

11.24.1 Apologies: Joe Craen.

11.24.2 Previous minutes and matters arising.
The minutes from 17th September 2024 were agreed and signed by the chairman.
Toilet signs – The sign has been fitted to the door
Perimeter fence – The Parish Council will get the fence repaired.
Taps and covers for troughs – Dave will look into these in the spring.

11.24.3 Financial report.
(13th November 2024)
WFA total funds - £4,667.99
Memorial Garden funds - £575.31
Garden Organic – The association has now joined Garden Organic. Karen has a list of gardens which members can visit with this membership and she will find out how this works in practice. KA

11.24.4 HMRC.
Simon has spoken to HMRC and NSALG and the WFA will have to register with HMRC, as it is an organisation with a bank account and which collects money from rents and fund-raises.
To register, WFA must have at least two trustees. Although we have not appointed trustees in our constitution, NSALG advised that the bank account signatories are effectively trustees anyway, and so it was agreed that Simon and Karen, as Chair and Treasurer, will be listed as trustees with HMRC..
There is no deadline, but it should be done as soon as is possible.
Simon will attempt the registration but the formation of the Trust will be left until the AGM.
The ring-fenced money held for the Memorial Garden will now need a separate account which will be audited at the same time as the allotment accounts. SE

11.24.5 AGM.
As the year end for the Allotments is April, it was agreed that future AGMs will be held nearer to this date, so that the audited accounts show a clearer picture of the current financial situation.

11.24.6 Plant sale. (22nd September)
The plant sale was very successful in spite of the awful weather, and raised £561.80 for the CFRs.
Another sale will be held next May.

11.24.7 Vacant/uncultivated plots and waiting list.
There is no-one on the waiting list, and four plots are vacant, but one of these is currently used as a nursery space for plants being cultivated for the next plant sale.
We will have another advertising campaign in the spring and possibly an open day with a barbecue later in the season.
Karen is still trying to find some black plastic large enough to cover the empty plots and the compost. She will have a look look at silage covers, although these might not be strong enough. KA

11.24.8 Overgrown trees.
Jane has written to the plot holders concerned. Some trees have been cut back or removed but there are still a couple which are too high. Jane will write again, reminding those concerned that now is the best time to prune. JG

11.24.9 Composting area.
The compost will be emptied so that the disintegrating boards can be removed and John will then add another layer of poles to the sides. A permanent ramp will be built to make the bays more accessible.

11.24.10 Quiz.
The Bank House have now begun putting on a monthly quiz, so we will find out more about these before arranging anything, possibly in the spring. However it might be better to put on a quiz in the Hall.

11.24.11 AOB.
Taps – Alan will turn the water off for the winter months.
Manure – We have been offered some bags of guinea pig manure and Karen will contact Garden Organic to see if this would be suitable to add to the composting bay. AH, KA.

Next meeting: Tuesday 18th February 2025 at 7.45 in the Bank House

 

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