THE 2015 AGM

The AGM will be held at the Model Engineering Club (same venue as last year) on 14 June 2015 at 11.00. It will be chaired by Amber Hine, our acting chair following the recent resignation of Peter Ryall. Nomination forms for the election of Committee members and officers will be available shortly from the Trading Hut and the meeting agenda will be posted on the gates and the notice board. Please make every effort to attend your AGM and let us know asap if there are any topics or issues that you would like to have included on the agenda.

RENTS AND OTHER CHARGES 2015/16

The Committee has examined our business plan and budgets for 2015-2018 and decided that a small increase of 5% in both rents and water charges is required in order to ensure that we both maintain our financial reserves at a safe level and generate sufficient income to meet our main bills and keep up with the maintenance and improvement of our site. Rent will be £8.45 per pole and water £2.30 per pole from 1.4.16. Examples of plot charges will be posted on the Trading Hut notice board.

SITE SECURITY

The council delivered fencing materials for E Field at the end of April. Before work can commence to install the new fence permission must be obtained from the council to access the former British Legion site and this is in hand. Since the society does not have the equipment or the skilled manpower to carry out the work the Committee has reluctantly concluded that the job must be put out to tender. The fencing project will be costly and as soon as the council’s go-ahead is obtained we will make contact with contractors with a view to completing the work before the end of 2015.

Meanwhile, please continue to keep site gates locked and report any thefts/damage/intruders to the police and the Committee. We have had a relatively quiet few months but we need to continue to be vigilant.

 PLOT MANAGEMENT AND SITE MAINTENANCE

Over the last few months the Committee has issued warnings to a number of plot holders about the poor condition of their plots and other breaches of the site rule. A number of tenancies were subsequently terminated. Your plot agreement requires you to keep your plot in good order – regularly cultivated for the growing of fruit and veg and reasonably weed, rubbish and hazard free. It is also important that you play your part in keeping the site in good order, maintaining the pathways, picking up and removing rubbish from the site and avoiding excessive water consumption. This year a full health and safety inspection of the site will be carried out in order to ensure that everyone is playing their part in keeping the site safe and in good order. Details of the inspection will be posted on the site gates.

SOCIAL EVENTS AND THE NEW COMMUNAL AREA ON P FIELD

We hope to hold another social event in June – details will be posted on the gates.

Meanwhile, if there is anything you would like to discuss with the Committee we continue to run open sessions for members at the conclusion of our monthly meetings. Simply come along the Trading Hut at 11.00 am – next meeting will be held in July – date tbc. Alternatively you can call in to the office between 10.30 – 12.00 on Saturdays and Sundays.