Issue - meetings

This report presents a review of all allotments in the borough and sets out recommendations for the future of council managed and self-managed sites.

Following consideration, the Committee unanimously resolved to:

(1)      Note the status of all allotment sites in the borough.

(2)      Note that the current agreements for the three self-managed allotments sites are due to expire in December 2022 and agree to issue new agreements for the next five years from date of expiry as set out in section three of this report.

(3)      Agree to consult with the Allotment Forum site representatives to gauge interest in the remaining council-managed sites becoming self-managed as set out in section 4 of the report.

The Committee received a report presenting a review of all allotments in the Borough and sets out recommendations for the future of council managed and self-managed sites.

The following matters were considered:

a)            Process for becoming a self-managed allotment site. The Committee noted that the process for Council-managed allotment sites to become self-managed sites includes a requirement that 75% of plot holders support the application. Officers informed the Committee that this was 75% of all plot holders for the site, and that non-respondents were considered to not be in support.

b)            Clarification to wording of paragraph 4.1 of the report. The Committee considered that paragraph 4.1 of the report should be clarified to detail that a request had been received from Epsom Common Allotment Society for the self-managed site criteria to be revised. The Epsom Common Allotment Society had not submitted a request to become self-managed.

c)            Amendment to self-management criteria. The Committee requested Officers to present a report to its June 2022 meeting providing a review of the criteria for self-managed allotment sites, including the requirement for 75% of plot holders to be in support. Officers were requested to consult the Allotment Forum site representatives for their views as a part of this review.

Following consideration, the Committee unanimously resolved to:

(1)      Note the status of all allotment sites in the Borough.

(2)      Note that the current agreements for the three self-managed allotments sites are due to expire in December 2022 and agree to issue new agreements for the next five years from date of expiry as set out in section three of this report.

(3)      Agree to consult with the Allotment Forum site representatives to gauge interest in the remaining council-managed sites becoming self-managed as set out in section 4 of the report.