Agenda item

To consider the report of the Assistant Director Public Realm.

The Assistant Director Public Realm presented the report setting out the current position with regard to the Council’s provision of allotments and, in the light of consultation with service users, proposing a number of changes to the operation of the service and the rules governing current lettings. The report presented options for the devolved or shared management of the allotments sites.

Councillor Owen, the Portfolio Holder for Environment, Health and Wellbeing, spoke under Standing Order No. 44. He thanked the allotment holders for participating in the consultation process and contributing to the production of the report. He also thanked officers for the report. On reflection, he felt that a better approach would have been to consult the allotment bodies prior to the start of the review. However, he was grateful for the full engagement of the ward councillors as the review progressed which had been very helpful. He wished to see a sustainable, long term future for the allotments in the City and welcomed the suggestion of establishing an Allotment Users’ Forum.

The following responses were given to Members’ queries:-

·         a full audit of all allotment sites would be carried out as soon as possible and, following on from this, any necessary safety work undertaken as quickly as possible;

·         as some plots have been in a poor condition for a number of years it is unlikely that all remedial work will be undertaken prior to the introduction of the new management system;

·         initially, each site will be encouraged to have a site representative to liaise with City Council officers, prior to a more formal management system being considered;

·         it is not proposed to introduce a deposit system;

·         siblings inheriting a plot from parents is not considered appropriate but there will be engagement with allotment bodies on this issue;

·         self management of allotments will still require adherence to constitutional issues such as an AGM, election of officers etc., but it is anticipated that the model to be widely adopted will be that of shared management between the Council and allotment bodies;

·         the length of the hand over period of an allotment to a bereaved spouse will be examined;

·         the format and remit of the proposed Allotment Users’ Forum will be discussed with the allotment bodies;

·         a significant rent increase had been agreed for 2013/14 for implementation from September 2014 and it is not anticipated that rent increases above inflation will be introduced in the future. The rent in Exeter reflects the market value of the land; and

·         local knowledge is of great value as allotment representatives can advice on the special needs of some users and on the allotment conditions.

Councillor Bull moved and Councillor Newby seconded the creation of an Allotments Users’ Forum. This was supported.

Scrutiny Committee - Community noted and supported the report and thanked all those who had been involved in the consultation process and requested Executive to:-

1)    support the restriction of all new tenancies to those living in the City and who continued to do so;

2)    support the restriction of all new tenancies in size to a maximum of ten rods (approx 250m2) per household;

3)    support the bringing into line of payment arrangements for allotments rents within the range of payment options available for other council services, subject to such arrangements complying with the statutory provisions relating to allotments;

4)    support discounts applying to current tenancies to remain for the duration of the individual tenancy and not to be transferable and that no discount be applied to new tenancies;

5)    support changes being made to the service to reduce maintenance costs and bring the service into line with the proposed budget for 2015/16, as set out in the report;

6)    agree to greater user participation being encouraged and to grant delegated authority to the Assistant Director Public Realm, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Environment, Health and Wellbeing, to enter into management agreements with duly elected Allotment Associations;

7)    approve the changes in the Allotment Gardens Rules and Conditions as set out in the report and to grant delegated authority to the Service Manager with overall responsibility for allotments to interpret the rules in the case of a dispute;

8)    support the issue of the Allotment Gardens Rules and Conditions from 1 October 2014 and to grant delegated authority to the Assistant Director Public Realm, in consultation with the Council’s Monitoring Officer and the Portfolio Holder for Environment, Health and Wellbeing, to review annually thereafter and approve or amend the rules as necessary;

9)    grant delegated authority to the Service Manager to permit a rent free period of up to a year where a new tenant is willing to accept an untidy plot or where a tenant is prepared to be the single representative overseeing the allotment site on behalf of the Council; and

10)an Allotment Users’ Forum be established in liaison with the Allotment Bodies.