Agenda item

Report of the Cabinet Member Sustainability

The Cabinet Member Sustainability introduced the report. He advised that the current allotment strategy “Food For Thought ”  2005 – 2015 was approved by Cabinet in 2005. This report and the accompanying appendices set out the progress made over the last five years and set new actions for the remaining five years. An analysis of supply and demand had been undertaken in order to assist the council in identifying a reasonable level of provision to meet future need. The three key areas that needed to be addressed were the increasing demand from the public, the new legal responsibility for parishes to provide allotments in parished areas and a history of cheap provision of allotments. He highlighted the recent press coverage which had suggested that the council would be spending up to £500,000 on allotments. He emphasised that this money would only be spent if it was from ring-fenced allotments funds.  For example if the Midwinter sale went ahead, the council would have a legal obligation to spend some of the proceeds on providing allotments.  The council would be looking to move to a position where allotments were self financing in revenue terms within the context of the strategy.  

The Cabinet Member Finance and Community Development welcomed the increase in allotment rents as a move towards them being self financing in the future.   Referring to the recent press coverage he was concerned about the use of the word “quirk” when referring to allotments and he hoped that the Echo could correct this in their report of this meeting.

The Cabinet Member Built Environment hoped that the sale of Midwinter would go ahead at some point and it would then be appropriate to invest some of the money in allotments and bring unused pieces of land back into public use.

The Cabinet Member Sustainability was asked whether there were any limitations on the use of Section 106 monies for allotments and was he concerned about the capacity of the parish councils to meet their obligations regarding the provision of allotments in parished areas.

In response, he acknowledged that the use of Section 106 monies was a complex area of legislation and further investigations were underway. The Assistant Director Operations reassured members that officers had already engaged with the five parish councils in the borough and were working closely with them.  The emphasis would be on partnership working to provide allotment provision across the town, working within the legal constraints on the use of finances.

Another member suggested that although environmental and sustainable issues and transition towns were referred to in the appendices, they were not given sufficient emphasis in the body of the report. The Cabinet Member Sustainability acknowledged the point but emphasised that transition towns was a key part of his remit which he was  actively involved in.

The Leader commended the excellent work that had been done in providing more capacity for allotments in the town over the last few years.

RESOLVED THAT:

1. The progress made against the action plan (contained in Appendix 4 to this report) during the first five years be noted and commitment made to the revised action plan for the next five years.

2. The analysis and methodology contained in Appendix 3 to this report for the provision of new allotments to meet current and future demand be approved.

3. The principle of a revised charging structure for allotments (as set out in Appendix 2 to this report) be approved and the Assistant Director Operations (in consultation with the Cabinet Member Sustainability) be authorised to finalise the details of the new charging structure, in time to enable implementation for 1^st January 2010.