SATURDAY 21 ST JANUARY 2023 AT 11 am
MOOR GREEN ALLOTMENTS OFF HOLDERS ROAD B13 8RG
The minutes below have not been agreed or signed by the persons present.
Management Agreement Consultation Meeting Moor Green 21st January 2023 at 11pm
Attendees
Barbara Smith (BDAC/Working Party/Lower Tinkers Farm) David Draycott ( Moor Green/Working party) Sandra Sharpe Frank Sharpe Joyce Carnell Kevin Turley David Lezama Roy Clayton Paul Clayton plus one (Walkers Heath Association) Phil Zjalic (Wychbury/Working Party) Tim Wright Sue Griffiths (Harborne Hill) Joe Donovan Clive Priestley (Selly Oak Road) Caroline Hutton (Howard Road East) Ceri Griffiths Karen Ashton (Billesley Lane ) Stephanie Wallbutton John Wallbutton (Greenaleigh Road) Richard Tomes (Melstock ) Chris Hughes Ann Hughes (Lower Tinkers Farm) Steve Anderson (Henlow Road)
B. Smith and David Draycott summed up the process of consultation began in 2022 and re capped how the working party had been set up and the thinking behind the re draft. Also mentioned other options including Full Self-Management and out sourced management.
Questions were invited and the following discussion made these points:
- Associations need to understand the difference between their present form of devolved management and a system of Full Self-Management.
- There was a feeling that the present 10% of rents was not sufficient.
- That the BDAC/ Allotment Community should push the Council to appreciate the *Social Capital value that the Allotment Community provides.
- That the BDAC/ Allotment Associations could better influence the Council if close relationships with Local Councillors were developed. There would be benefits if we could encourage a number of Councillors to form a ‘group” to promote the benefits of Allotments and raise the profile.
- A call for the statements in the Insurance policy be better understood. For example, what does “member to member” mean?
- Concerns over the Indemnity clause.
- A concern on the continuing change of how the Council manages open space provision.
- A request that a group/ Think tank, look into developing a Five-Year Plan for the future of Allotments on behalf of plot holders, including looking outwards to create links with like-minded organisations that could be a support. E.g., The Open Space Forum, that acts as a pressure group.
- BDAC needs to act more like a “brand” to become more visible with the public.
- The “Non-Cultivation” process is daunting and long winded which puts some Associations off tackling the problem of non-cultivation. Any simplifying of the system would be appreciated.
In summing up it was felt that signing a new Agreement and continuing with the present system of Devolved Management was preferable to both full self-management and outsourcing of Allotments to a service provider. That further clarification is needed about the Indemnity clause and what the Insurance covers.
*Social capital is a set of shared values that allows individuals. to work together in a group to effectively achieve a. common purpose. Research consistently shows important benefits related to social capital, such as individuals with higher levels of social capital being happier and finding better jobs. We also see that people report better health and increased levels of trust in a community as a result of their positive relationships.