Old Park Farm Garden Holders Association

The water will be turned off in seven days (on Monday 24th) and switched back on in the Spring.

We have had plenty of rain recently, so your water butts and IBC’s should be just about full. Please ask if you need any help with Rainwater Harvesting.

The recycle bay is there for everyone to use: If you see something you want just help yourself, if you have something useful (like plant pots, seed trays, garden tools and so on) that you don’t want, put it in the recycle bay and someone else can use it.

Unfortunately someone thinks it’s OK to leave bags of rubbish in the recycle bay (next to the sign that says “No Rubbish”) and as a community we now have to clear it up.

What you can do:

If you see someone dumping rubbish, report it to the committee who will take appropriate action, which might be eviction.

If you see rubbish in the bays (or anywhere else on site) please take some of it home for your wheelie bin. If everyone takes a little the work is shared and it won’t be long before all the rubbish is cleared away.

Thanks

Steve

General Meeting for all plot holders. Please make an effort to attend as this is a chance to influence the running of the association.

1. Site inspection by Council (Jo Tarrant) and re inspection
2. We need a Treasurer
3. Dumping on Site
4. Plot re inspections on 17 and 18 October
5. CCTV and Funding available to improve site
6. Outstanding Plots
7. Water: The leak on the bottom lane has been fixed and the water is back on. Steve estimates that this leak has cost the association £120 in wasted water. Sadly, a couple of people noticed the leak and didn’t bother to report it.
8. Burning on your own plot. Burning days 5,6,7,8,9 Nov and 14 December
9. Dogs on lead in communal areas
10. Work Parties
11. Car Park
12. Top Car Park Gate
13. Horse Manure and Guinea Pig
14. Ideas to improve the allotments
15. Road Stone
16. AOB

Small Bonfires are once again allowed on individual plots, provided that sufficient precautions are taken. Massive fires are not allowed. If you have a big pile of hedge cuttings (several plots have) you must not set fire to it. To protect any hedgehogs and reduce the chance of things getting out of hand, you should start a small fire nearby and gradually feed your hedge cuttings onto it. You must be careful not to generate large amounts of smoke.

All bonfires should be of dry material, with NO plastics or other waste and ideally NOT using petrol / diesel as an accelerant. Bonfires should be supervised at all times and only lit when weather conditions are suitable (i.e. low wind or wind blowing away from properties.
Suitable firefighting equipment including water / rakes and soil should be available to extinguish any bonfires if conditions change or reports of nuisance occur.

Following our usual pattern of second Sunday in the month with a few extra days in November, small fires are allowed on the following dates:

12 October

5, 6, 7, 8, 9 November

14 December

11 January

On my walk around the site today I noticed quite a bad leak pumping up freshwater from the ground on the bottom lane and not from one of the taps. Unfortunately that means the water supply has had to be turned off for now.
Michael and myself have agreed to dig it up during the week to see if he can then remedy the problem, hopefully allowing water for the last part of the water period. If not the water supply may not be turned back on until next spring.
Many thanks

Lisa

The water is usually switched off from mid November until spring to avoid the issue of freezing and burst pipes. Given the amount of rain we have had recently, water butts should be fairly full, if you need help arranging rain water collection, please ask.

Steve

Following a site inspection today, a council officer has informed us that we are no longer allowed large communal bonfires on the car park. This Sunday’s fire will be the last communal fire and after this no more burning rubbish should be left on the car park.

The summer fire ban on individual plot holders is still in place and will be reviewed by the council in October.

Anything green should be composted and not burnt. Grass, leaves and even green privet trimmings can all go in the compost. Don’t compost perennial roots (Dandelion, Dock, Bindweed etc), kill them first either by drying in the sun or drowning in a water butt for a few months. A compost bay can easily be made from pallets. If anyone needs help or advice on composting please ask a committee member (or a Steve).

Woody hedge trimmings are more difficult, but we have a chipper so we should be using it to make chippings to be used as a mulch.

Larger branches or logs could be saved and given to someone who has a log burner

Rest assured the rent bills are being produced and will be delivered in the next 48 hours
Many thanks for you patience
Lisa.

Work is progressing slowly, to help things along the committee is hoping for volunteers to help with a work day on Sunday September 21st from 10 am. If enough people turn up we should be able to get the car park into a usable state. Everyone is welcome, but If you have a plot on the lane near(ish) to the main gate you should make an extra effort because it is likely that you will benefit from using the car park when it is ready.

Hope to see you on Sunday

Steve