Old Park Farm Garden Holders Association

Present:Steve Yorke (SY), David Kirkham (DK), Jane Bowden (JB), Winifred Beck (WB), Michael Graham (MG), Kay Graham (KG), Wendy Thomas (WT), Simon Hudson (SH), Barry Mitchell (BM), Lisa Goulbourne (LG), Diane Yorke (DY), Carol Brier (CB), Gary Brier (GB), Charles Dewa (CD), Tom Hutchinson (TH), Paul Hibbs (PH), Melek Portakal (MP), Steve Williams (SW), Ryan Wilcox (RW), Helen Bristow (HB), Anugaman Neupane (AN), Christine Scouthern (CS), Colin Hyatt (CH), Dave Goulding (DG), Dave Reid (DR)

Apologies: John Stooke, Chris Skinner

DK opened the meeting at 10:30 by welcoming and thanking everyone for attending. He confirmed that the meeting was quorate. He reminded people of the need to be polite and respectful to each other.

Minutes from last year’s AGM held on 27^th April 2024 were proposed by KG and seconded by SW

Chair’s Report:

DK read his report (attached). In summary, he thanked everyone who had contributed to the Association, acknowledging key individuals and volunteers whose efforts keep the organisation running. However, the Association is facing a potential crisis: if a new Management Committee is not formed, the Council may take direct control of the allotment site, resulting in a substantial rent increase for members. Currently, there are no new nominations for officer or committee roles, and the Chairman announced he will not stand for re-election due to time constraints. He emphasised the importance of member support and participation, expressed regret for not achieving a fully friendly and inclusive environment, and encouraged all members to take responsibility for the future of the Association. The choice now rests with the members to decide how the group will be led and managed going forward.

There was a discussion about the impact of allowing the Association to become ‘Direct Let’ by the Council. Although this is theoretical, the Council have made clear that there would be a 3 or 4 fold increase in rents (13p to 47p per square metre) and that several facilities currently enjoyed by tenants would no longer be available, such as skips, communal fire etc. Hedges and potholes would not necessarily be fixed due to the Council’s financial situation.

Treasurer’s Report:

DK reported on MK’s behalf that the accounts had not yet been audited, but this was in hand. There is currently about £6900 in the bank, a reduction of £664 since last year. Given the liabilities that have to be accounted for ((key deposits, rent for the council and insurance), the Association has about £1000 available until the end of September when rents are next due.

WT asked why the new locks, bought in March, were not being used. Currently, the new keys are with JS and need to be collected so they can be distributed and the new locks used.

The Committee had agreed to sell the chipper and had a buyer but needed to find the keys and take photos. There had been no insurance claim submitted following the break in and robbery and there was concern that we might be too late to do this. The new Committee would need to look at this.

DK observed that many things had not been actioned as the Management Committee had not been functioning properly for several months.

Secretary’s Report:

In the absence of John Stooke, there was no report from the Secretary.

Election of Officers and New Committee

DK reported that he had received no volunteers for officers. There was then a discussion and SH offered to stand as Chair. JB pointed out that this was not possible due to the rule change agreed last year which meant that anyone who had resigned or been asked to resign from the Committee for misconduct could not stand again. SH stated that the case against him was based on hearsay and was unfair. JB stated that she had been at the meeting to discuss his conduct and it was based on facts provided by the then Treasurer (Mark Robinson) and Secretary (JS). WB then offered to stand and was elected on a show of hands. LG offered to stand as Secretary and was duly elected on a show of hands. Subsequently Anu volunteered to be Treasurer.

Officers:

Chair – Winnie Beck

Secretary – Lisa Goulbourne

Treasurer – Anu

Ordinary Committee Members:

Carol Brier

Tom Hutchinson

Wendy Thomas

Paul Hibbs

SH also volunteered to be on the Committee, but his position needs clarifying given the rule change mentioned earlier.

The need for the Secretary to have others to support her due to the demanding nature of the job was recognised.

WB and LG led the remainder of the meeting with help from DK.

Exclusion of Roy Lawson

DK explained that Roy had appealed to the Council following his removal from the Association and the Council had supported the Association’s decision. He had been a disruptive influence on the site and had failed to follow site rules. Normally, an evicted tenant would be given 28 days to remove their possessions from their plot, but Roy had been given 3 months finishing on 1^st June. He has still not removed his possessions, so these would normally become the property of the Association. It was unanimously agreed that Roy can only return to site with the agreement of the officers of the Committee and that an inventory with photos should be made of the items on his plot before their removal. A letter has already been sent to him about these plans.

Water Wastage

Water is a huge expense with the current water bill being £736 which is not sustainable. There are still a number of tenants who leave taps on and also one who waters his plot excessively so that his raised beds are completely water-logged. The Association has a Policy on Water Usage but needs to ensure that its provisions are applied.

Unlet Plots

There are currently 11 (soon to be 12) unlet plots. LG to get the 2 lists from JS. WT and TH will take on the role of lettings.

Unused/Minimally used plots

Inspections will take place in August and the Policy and Procedure for maintaining standards will be applied.

Unmaintained Hedges and Trees

This will be covered through the inspections and Standards Policy

Keeping Chickens

WT stated that under the 1950 Allotment Act, tenants are allowed to keep chickens on allotments provided that the eggs are for personal use and that high standards of care are maintained. The chickens have to be registered and cockerels are not allowed. They may not be bred for meat. It was agreed to allow the keeping of chickens with the details to be set out by the Committee.

Organisation of the Responsibilities of Secretary

It was agreed that the Committee would look at the proposal to have a number of Working Groups that would cover different aspects of the Secretary’s role.

Water/Rent Increase

DK proposed increasing rents by 1p per square metre from 13p to 14p. They had not been raised for many years. This would add approximately £5 to the average bill. This was agreed.

Honoraria

BM once again raised the point that Officers could not be ‘paid’. JB stated that the Honoraria were a ‘thank you’ to Officers of the Association in recognition of the time that they spend working on Association business and for the responsibility they take. It was agreed to pay the Honoraria of £200 again this year and to change the Association Rules to reflect this.

AOB

• LG stated that investigating the insurance claim for lost equipment would be a priority for her.
• SW has the new locks and chains, LG to obtain list of deposits and key holders from JS
• Laptops: LG to find out about the possible Association laptop held by JS
• BBQ and Show: Although it is recognised as good for the community, it’s important to share the responsibilities for this event. SY offered to organise the show again.
• Ray – it was agreed that he could visit the site to work on a tenant’s plot provided the tenant was present at all times, i.e. he would be there as a guest.
• AGM – will be in June again, probably 14^th June 2026.
• Next General Meeting: 14^th September 2025

Meeting closed at 12.35pm.

Attachments

Chair’s Report in full

It you will allow I will read my report without taking questions and allowing discussion. Everyone is more than welcome to offer their opinions after the Officers and Committee have been elected. If we discuss issues now, the AGM will take a long time to complete

Firstly, I would like to thank everyone who has supported the Association since the last AGM in March 2024

These include the following, forgive me if I have missed anyone out, everyone’s help is appreciated

Steve Yorke was the Chairman until recently and has given great service to the Association in many ways over many years and continues to do so

John Stooke who is the current Secretary and has been the Secretary for a number of years. John has contributed enormously to the Association and has represented the Association in through many difficult situations and given his time freely

Melek Portakal recently volunteered to be the Association Treasurer. Melek stepped forward to help out the Association and her willingness to help me (and the Association) shows her generosity.

All the Committee members who have served the Association. They have given up their time for meeting, they offer their views so that members are represented in Committee meetings and often are the people who give up their time to work on the site or help out the Association in addition to their contribution to Committee meetings

Thank you to everyone who has worked on the site, helped cut hedges, fill pot holes, mend fences, met with the Council, attended Federation meetings, picked up litter, made bays for chippings, burnt fires, inspected plots, cut grass, worked on locks, attended and spoken at General meetings, taken time to give feedback, the list is long and I will have forgotten more than I have listed. Everyone’s support of the Association is appreciated, and the Association cannot function without the support of its members.

Thank you all for coming today and giving up your time. Today is an important meeting.

Thank you everyone

Having said that the Association could be in a crisis

The Association has not done the things we need to do to govern ourselves effectively and this leads to a risk that the Council may decide to run the site itself

To repeat what I have said previously, if the Council run our allotment site, they have said that the rent we all pay will increase 3-4 times. The Council is currently reviewing their rents and the rents they might be increased by more than 3-4 times. That means that there would be an increase in the rent bill of about £60 or more per plot. £60 is in my opinion an underestimate.

If the Council run the site there is no guarantee that the site will be any better managed than an effective self-run site. Ultimately the choice is ours.

At the moment, I am the Chairman, John is the Secretary and Melek is the Treasurer. There are more than a full complement of Committee Members, Winnie, Lisa, Charles, Tom, Marcia, Anu, Carol, Ryan – I think that is everyone, have I missed anyone out?

I asked for nominations for the officer roles and committee members. I have to tell you that I have not received any nominations. Nominations may be received during this meeting but there is a risk that we will not have an effective Management Committee and if we do not have a Committee then the Council may decide to run the site directly. It might not happen immediately, but it is a real possibility.

The choice is ours.

Your Association needs your support, it needs volunteers, and it needs them today

Personally, it has been an honour to be the Chairman of the Association for a short period of time

I have tried to lead the Association fairly, and in the best interest of all members, and the members are the Association. I have tried to be open and allow everyone to a chance to raise their views. I have tried to communicate openly, there has been, and should not be any hidden agendas. I would like to see the Association be a friendly and inclusive place where members and their guests can enjoy their plots and create a sociable community. My observation is that the Association is not always a friendly and inclusive place. I have not been able to lead the Association to be such a place. I am sorry for that. The statement I posted on the website on aggressive and abusive behaviour was in response to how people had behaved on site. The only way for us to have a friendly community is for everyone to try to be friendly. The choice is ours.

I wish to state again in that taking decisions that, in my opinion, are in the best interests of all members, in the best interest of the Association, means that I could not please everyone. One side, or both sides, in a dispute often feels that have been hard done to, not listened to, or not been treated fairly. All I can say is that I have tried to be fair and reasonable, I understand that people can feel disappointed by decisions that are taken, but we cannot always get what we would really wanted.

I need to tell you that I have come to the conclusion that I will not stand for re-election (in a few minutes time).

There are not enough hours in my day to be the Chairman in the current situation, and I am standing down to allow a new approach to be agreed by you that can help the Association move forward.

I wish the new officers and Committee well, they will have my support

The choice of who will lead and run your Association is yours today, please contribute to the discussion and vote.

Treasurer’s Report in full

I will read out the Treasurer’s Report on behalf of Melek. In truth, I have committed to supporting Melek as Treasurer and reading this Report is part of that support.

The Association does not have any immediate cash issues. There is cash in the bank – £6,948 as at the end of May 2025. This is £664 lower than year earlier, a year in which the Association bought a chipper and bought some replacement locks.

There is a large water bill to pay in June. This is £736 which is larger than our usual Water Bill and which has reduced our bank balance in June significantly.

Our bank balance needs to cover our expenses up to the new rent bill receipts in September and October. An estimate of uncommitted money is about £1,000. You and the Committee will need to decide whether this is a reasonable cushion against unforeseen expenses.

The 2024 accounts have not yet been audited. The unaudited accounts show a deficit of £462. This includes a decision to buy a chipper for £1,344. Without the chipper the Association would have had a surplus of £882. The auditor has been contacted and will be asked for her help and I am waiting on her reply.

There are items relating to the Association’s finances for discussion today that I request the members consider and express their views on today.

Due to the prolonged hot dry spell the City Council have banned all Fires and Barbecues on allotment sites.

This ban will remain in place until we get a prolonged period of rain which is likely to be Autumn at the earliest.

In the meantime please compost any green waste, keep any woody waste until we can have fires again and if you need any help please talk to a committee member or a Steve.

Steve

AGENDA
Introduce and Welcome: Lisa Goulbourne, Winifred Knight, Wendy
Thomas, Tom Hutchinson, Simon Hudson, Carrol Williams. Paul Hibbs,
Steve York, Micheal Graham.
Apologies
Anugaman Neupane

Minutes from 14th 2025 A.G.M Meeting
Date of next General meeting: 27th July 2025 10am Polytunnel (all plot
holders)
Date of next Committee Meeting: 27th July 2025 10.45 Polytunnel
Keys lists and deposits from John +contact details:
I am still currently working with John to get the OneDrive handed over.
The new keys are now with Lisa and the committee has decided on a few
dates the hand over will take place. These dates and times are listed
below. There will also be a notice put on all the gates outlining the details
stated here. From the first date the locks on all gates will be swapped over
to the new ones, except the small pedestrian gate on the middle lane,
allowing everyone access during this process.
12th July 10-2
13th July 10-2
19th July 10-2
20th July 10-2
If these dates are inconvenient for any of the key holders an alternative
notice to arrange a separate time will be available at the polytunnel.
Insurance +crimes no:?
Wendy has sent over all the crime numbers,and Dave has emailed the
insurance details in which i will chase up week beginning 7th July 2025
Roy? (letter to Roy)
Look to change water usage: (IBC tanks)
We are looking into alternative water storage for plot holders asking a few
companies to donate IBC tanks. A discussion was made about a water ban
after 9pm. Or the possibility of a timer to try and stop water use after this
time. This was also to cut off the hoses that people have forgotten to
disconnect.
Discuss roles:
The roles that have been established are:
Development Group: Simon, Carrol
Lettings: Wendy and Tom
Maintenance Group: Paul, Michel, Ryan
Events and social Group: Winnie, Lisa, Carrol, Steve Y
Yearly inspection of plots, rules to be enforced.
Update facebook:
Carrol is going to re look at the facebook page and we will all work to get
things posted on a little more often. Comments and feedback would be
great. (remember to be kind)
Chicken policy
Wendy is still looking into the (DEFRA) code of practice.
Wendy is going to email Jo Tarrent to inform her we will be having chickens
on site when policies are in place.
Equipment:
The committee has purchased a new 5in1 multi tool with three year
breakdown cover, costing £236 and a decision to purchase a wacker plate
was also decided when a reasonably priced one is found.
We are currently try to get new keys for the chipper so it can be sold and
the money can be put back into the association.
BBQ set date and duties:
The BBQ AND SHOW has been set for: 27th September 2025. Bring your
own alcohol.
If you have any donations for the raffle please give to Steve York.
A meeting will take place on the 10th August 10.30. In the polytunnel to
plan the BBQ and Show.
Accounts
A.O.B
The top car park needs attention; the area is very badly overgrown and is
not being used appropriately. The gates are a little loose. Fire pile needs
relocating.
Chipper + keys covered in agenda.
Hedges and Plots, could everyone pay attention to these please as the
inspections are just around the corner.
AGM minutes will be published shortly.
Steve Williams will be updating webpage.

New Gate Locks will be fitted on Saturday 12th July.

The Pedestrian gate (next to the main gate) will have an old lock until all current tenants have a new key.

Lisa will be in the polytunnel to exchange keys on the following dates

Saturday 12th July 10am – 2pm

Sunday 13th July 10am – 2pm

Saturday 19th July 10am – 2pm

Sunday 20th July 10am – 2pm

If you can’t manage any of these dates Lisa’s contact details will be in the Polytunnel

Steve

Recently the Committee has discussed whether the Secretary’s role is too large for one person, and that this has resulted in challenges if the Secretary is not available or there is too much for one person to do

The Committee has discussed alternatives including the following:

The Secretary could be supported by a number of Working Groups.

These could be:

1            Site Maintenance

2            Letting of Plots

3            Garden Standards

4            Social and Communication

What works best for the Association could be different to this, but this might give you an idea of what it could look like

In my opinion, it would be good if the lead for each working group is a Committee member.  In practise this might not work and the Secretary would need to find the right solution and that might change over time.

Some tasks would be reserved for the Secretary.  In my opinion, these tasks would include dispute resolution, and oversight and co-ordination of the working groups.  The Secretary would be responsible for issuing warnings and official letters to members

I would propose that the Working Group leaders are not be Officers of the Association

This proposal would be consistent with my view that:

the Chairman is responsible for Governance of the Association, running and chairing meeting, resolution of any disputes with the Committee, Secretary or Treasurer;

the Secretary is responsible for the day today running of the Association; and

the Treasurer is responsible for looking after the Association’s cash.

The Working Groups would need volunteers who would support the Working Group Leaders

This is something to discuss at the AGM – what are your views ?

Dave

Chairman

Please see below the draft meeting minutes from the AGM in March 2024

These will be read out at the AGM tomorrow for discussion and proposed for acceptance by the meeting

I would like to thank the member who took notes at the meeting and drafted these minutes. The time and effort that involved in helping the Association to document its meetings is significant and is appreciated

Please raise any comments on the meeting minutes to the AGM tomorrow – thanks

Minutes of AGM held 24th March 2024

Present:  Steve Yorke (SY), John Stooke (JS), Mark Robinson (MR), David Kirkham (DK), Jane Bowden (JB), Winifred Beck (WB), Michael Graham (MG), Kay Graham (KG), Wendy Thomas (WT), Simon Hudson (SH), Barry Mitchell (BM), Lisa Goulbourne (LG), Diane Yorke (DY), Carol Brier (CB), Gary Brier (GB), Charles Dewa (CD), Tom Hutchinson (TH), Paul Hibbs (PH), Melek Portakal (MP), Ralph Yorke (RY)

Full list unavailable but the meeting was quorate

Apologies: Bristows, Robin Roberts

SY opened the meeting at 10:35 by welcoming and thanking everyone for attending. 

Minutes from last year’s AGM held on 26^th March 2023 were read out by the Chair. These were proposed by Winnie Beck and seconded by Kay Graham.

Matters Arising:

Barry Mitchell complained that documents such as the agenda were still not being signed and dated by the author.  JS agreed to deal with this.

Chair’s Report:

SY reported that, following the drought in May and June of 2023, the bill for 4 weeks’ worth of water was £600 and there was major concern about the effect of the water bill on the Association finances.  It then rained and continued to do so for most of the summer.  However, we need to ensure that we save water in case of future drought.

Inspections took place in September as per the Standards’ Policy. A member complained that the inspectors had entered their plot without permission of the plot holder although they had been invited in by someone working the plot.  JS will remind people of inspections in early September although there is a problem with some people not updating or informing him of their e mail or postal addresses.  All were asked to ensure that contact details were up to date by contacting JS.

Where plots had to be cleared, skips were ordered at £300. 

SY thanked everyone involved with running the Association, including those who had helped at working parties (Committee members and 6 others), Michael Graham and Steve Williams.

Treasurer’s Report:

The accounts for 2023 were outlined and MR confirmed that these had been audited by Perveen Hussain.  Mark advised that the balance at the end of 2023 there was a surplus of £835, £8,331 in the bank and approximately £3,300 available.   In response to a request for ideas on how that money can be spent, repairs to the roadway were suggested.

As MR is stepping down, he was thanked for his 5 years of work as Treasurer.

The accounts were accepted (Proposed: KG, Seconded: RY)

Secretary’s Report:

JS explained that it had been an extremely busy year and that, consequently, not everything planned or wanted had been achieved. 

Currently 6 plots are empty and more people are needed to help with clearing plots so they can be let.

JS stated that he intends standing down as Secretary next year so asked for anyone interested in taking over the post to ‘shadow’ him to learn about what’s involved.

It was suggested that reports and minutes of the previous year’s AGM could be circulated with the agenda rather than reading the minutes out at the start of the meeting.  The minutes are also posted on the website so available for all.  It was pointed out that some people find it helpful that the minutes are read out.

Proposed New Lease (PNL)

Martin Harris at the Council expects the PNL/Management Agreement to come into effect this year. If we are taken over by the Council, rent will increase to 47p per square metre rather than 13p.  Under the new lease, we will no longer get a rebate.  Once the 2 documents are finalised, our Registered Rules (with the FCA) will be revised where the documents clash.  BM wanted the rules to be changed now, but it was explained that it was better to wait for the final versions of the PNL and MA so further changes weren’t required.

Discussions and Votes: Votes were counted by RY and LG

AGM Change of Date

It was proposed that the AGM should be moved to June in future to encourage attendance.  This was agreed.

Proposed Reduction in the Quorum

Given the problem in getting a quorum for General meetings, it was suggested that the required number should be reduced to 15.  This was agreed.

£200 Honorariums for the 3 Officers

The legality of these was questioned and whether those that had been paid out should be repaid.  JB pointed out that these are ‘thank yous’ to the 3 main officers for their time, work and responsibility in running the Association.  They are not ‘salaries’.  They are not there to cover any costs incurred and these should be claimed in the usual way with a receipt. It was agreed that the Honorariums should still be paid and there should be no repayment

The Future of Discounts

Anyone claiming a discount on their rent needs to complete a form and provide proof of their eligibility.  Currently the reduced income to the Association is taken into account in the rebate from the Council, but this will not apply in future.  It will be a flat rate.  This means that there will be less money for the Association to do the jobs required.  It was agreed to keep the discounts to those eligible.

Shooting Ban

Some members were surprised that guns were being used on site.  Others explained that they used them to kill rats.  JS had tried to find out about the legal situation regarding guns on site, but it was confusing.  PH stated that he had been given permission by the Council to shoot and agreed to send the email to JS.  It seems that the decision is down to the Association and if people vote to allow shooting on site, then a policy will need to be drafted and agreed at a General Meeting.  This will need to cover Health and Safety and public liability insurance.  2 votes were taken. It was agreed to ban shooting on site.  It was agreed to produce a policy on shooting.  JS stated that the second vote on the production of a policy overrode the one banning shooting on site.  JB disagreed.

Eligibility for becoming a Committee Member

It was proposed that people who have resigned from the committee following misconduct or been asked to leave due to misconduct, should be barred from serving on the Committee again.  This was agreed.

Lock Change

Changing the locks will cost at least £1,400 but currently we only have 3 functioning locks on the 3 gates.  The proposal was that the committee should be authorised to spend the money required to change the locks when it was needed.  This was agreed.

Purchase of a Chipper

Given the number of trees that need to be cleared and the environmental benefits of chipping rather than burning, the proposal was that the Association should purchase a chipper.  This was agreed

Meetings

Committee meetings had been ‘open’ to members until June 2023 with people being allowed to contribute to discussions.  This was done to encourage participation and involvement and improve decision making, but was changed because some members were aggressive and members of the Committee had felt intimidated and threatened. 

It was proposed that there should be 4 General Meetings per year in future: 1 AGM and 3 GMs spread through the year (March, June, September, December).  This was agreed.

Election of Officers and New Committee

All members had been invited by letter to stand for the Committee, either as officers or ordinary members.  Once nominations had been received, all members were given the opportunity to vote and, if they wished, to object to nominees.  The results of the secret ballot were:

Officers:                                                         

Chair         – Steve Yorke                                 

Secretary – John Stooke                                          

Treasurer – Dave Kirkham                                                 

Steve Williams to be co-opted and this ratified at the next AGM or GM.

Ordinary Committee Members:                               

Winifred Beck

Jane Bowden                                      

Charles Dewa                                                           

Tom Hutchinson                                                      

Wendy Thomas                                                        

AOB

Potholes:  Especially near the main (middle) gate are a problem.  JS explained that as so few people had turned up to Working Parties, it was impossible to do all the jobs required.  In future it may be necessary to put up rents so that contractors can be employed to complete jobs.

Holes in Old Coach Road are also a problem.  SY to contact the companies on the road to ask for assistance in repairing the road.

Communication: WT to put up laminated notices advertising working parties and JS to send out a calendar.  People were asked to ensure contact details were up to date, especially e mail addresses and that they had opted in to receiving e mail notifications and Facebook messages.

Moving Plots: It was alleged that Committee members were being favoured when plots became vacant.  Recent ‘swaps’ were discussed.  To avoid any misunderstandings, it was agreed that any request to move or to have an additional plot should be put in writing and that the Secretary would respond in writing.  However, it was pointed out that, in line with the Lettings Policy, while there were people on the waiting list for plots, current plot holders could only be given an additional plot in exceptional circumstances, e.g. if the plot was ‘unlettable’ due to glass all over the plot.

Removal of Tenant: The meeting had been disturbed multiple times by a tenant whose tenancy had been rescinded and plot cleared.  The Secretary and Chair explained how they had attempted to contact her on numerous occasions and had arranged to meet her on site to discuss both the state of the plot and subsequently, following notice to quit, to give her time to remove any personal items from the plot.  She had not turned up although she had confirmed that the contact details held for her were correct so she should have had the e mails and letters sent to her.  She was asked to provide a list of any items that she had left on the plot so that JS could source some replacements for her.

Banned Tenant: One tenant had been evicted from the site in line with the Standards Policy.  He had also been banned from site due to his behaviour towards other tenants.  SH asked for the ban to be lifted so that the ex – tenant could do maintenance work on site.  This will be considered at the next Committee meeting.

Close:

Meeting closed at 2.40pm.

The AGM is a good time for the members for the Association to discuss the annual bills from the Association to members

The cost of living is a constantly going up which means that members will have less money to spend on everything including their allotments, but also the Association has to pay higher costs for skips or roadstone or water etc and needs to balance its books

Increases in the annual bill have been kept low for a couple of years

I suggest this AGM is the right time for the members to consider whether the annual bill should be increased from October

One option is for the annual bills to increase by about 6% which would be as follows:

An average plot of about 375 sq metres has been charged at £79.00 for this year to September 2025

This includes rent of £48.90 and water of £30.10

If the water charge was increased to £31.50 and the rent to £52.50, then the total bill for an average plot would be £84.00, a total increase of £5.00 or about 6%

The rent of £52.50 is approximately equivalent to 14p per sq metre, the bill for each plot is based on the number of sq metres on the plot

Larger plots therefore have a larger bill than smaller plots, but all plots are charged at the same cost per square metre

The AGM is an occasion when members can have their say on important issues such as the annual rent bill

I hope to see you at the AGM on Saturday where I encourage you to share your views

Dave Kirkham

Chairman

The following will apply to the OPFGHA AGM scheduled to take place on Saturday 14th June 2025

Please be aware that attendance at the OPFGHA AGM is restricted to members of the Association

Guests of members are not entitled to be present at the OPFGHA AGM

Members of the Association are people whose names appear on the rent bill for the current year, and whose tenancy is current as at the date of the AGM

Members are entitled to one vote if a vote is taken at the AGM

Members whose names appear on more than one rent bill are only entitled to one vote at the AGM

Members must be present at the AGM to vote and must clearly indicate their vote for it to be counted

Proxy votes are not permitted

Please send any questions about attendance or voting at the OPFGHA AGM to the Chairman using the e mail address opfgha.treasurer@gmail.com

Regards

Dave Kirkham