Old Park Farm Garden Holders Association

Sorry about messing the date up on the previous post. This is what might happen when I write the post from a half remembered conversation. However the gist was correct in that there is a Committee meeting this week end and a general meeting in March.

The Committee have provided a formal statement:

There seems to have been a little confusion around the date of the next General Meeting, so we wanted to offer a quick update. To confirm, no GM has been arranged for Saturday the 28th. The Committee is currently working to set a new date that allows for the required 14 days’ notice, ensuring everyone has plenty of time to plan and attend.

Once the date is confirmed, we’ll share it along with the full agenda so everyone knows what to expect. As there will be quite a few items to cover, we’d really appreciate it anyone has anything that they wish the committee to add to the agenda for discussion please email the secretary by Thursday.

A further update will be provided next weekend, and we hope to see as many of you there as possible.

To avoid any confusion:

On Sunday 28th February there will be a Committee Meeting

At this committee meeting the date of the next general meeting will be decided (probably mid March)

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