News Update 2008

Due to volunteers being very busy this year the web site has not been updated as frequently as we would have liked but here is a brief update of events this year.

Rod Tuck Town Clerk and a keen supporter of the Allotment Association on behalf of the Landlords retired last year. The new Town Clerk is Phil Rowe and he has been very supportive during his first year.

The cost of Affiliation Fees, Public Liability Insurance, Rent and especially water continue to rise. As a result at the AGM a £3.00 per Half Plot Rent Increase was proposed by the Management Committee the proposal was overruled by the members. A member proposed a bigger £5.00 per half plot increase, which was voted for by an overwhelming majority.

A Young Offenders project has been started next to Coach Road Field.

The Devon & Cornwall Constabulary made a representation at the AGM where vandalism was discussed at length. The members were asked to be vigilant, to take photographs if they can and to apprehend youths using “reasonable force”. The message is simple if you can use it to break into a shed don’t leave it lying on the plot, put it away.

No nominations were sent in and as a result the Management Committee was re-elected. In 2009 some of the Management Committee may be stepping down.

Tar Scrapings have been delivered to Coach Road where the road was becoming unfit for vehicular access.

Tar Scrapings have been requested for Decoy Field where the track has dropped and several members have complained that their cars are making contact with the central grassed area.

Locks continue to cost the Association hundreds of pounds per year. Three fields have had new locks this year and the Lock at Decoy has been replaced free of charge.

The Management Committee did an inspection of all fields and considering the weather we have all been victims of the state of the fields was good. Especially Bradley Field where Peter Caunter has done some excellent work over the past two years.

Dave Mirfin organised the Annual Judging, which went very well, the judges being impressed with the state of the fields considering the growing conditions this year.

The Awards Evening will be Saturday 21st September 2009 at 7.30PM at the Mid Devon Constitutional Club in Union Street, Newton Abbot.

Non Cultivation – This has been a huge problem for the Management Committee over the past two or three years with some members who joined in 2006 yet to push a spade into the plot that they are renting.

With a large waiting list and plots going to weed the Landlords requested that the Management Committee do something about it. As a result almost 30 members were sent a letter accompanied by a letter from the Landlords in which they were asked to “use it or lose it”. This was a great success three members resigned and the others have either got their plots under cultivation or have downsized.

Rents will be staggered again this year to ensure that we don’t exceed 100 cheques per month before we incur bank charges.

Tim Callard
Chairman