Present:
Committee: Mike Powell (Acting Chair) 142, Wendy Gunter (Treasurer) 113b, Sue Pasek (Acting Site Rep) 73, Martin Pasek 73, Lewis Evans 88b/118b.
Plot holders: Tim Robinson 104a, Martin Keane 127a, Sera Jones 129, George Grigg 129, Sue Waring 60, Roger Phillips 60, Caroline Ritchie 51a/53a, Jane Bush 51a,53a, Adrian Peters 157, Alec McSkimming 38, Katrina Couper 104a, James Matthews 13b/24b, Mel Ford 64, Louise Shenstone 157, Wanda O’Connor 6a/b.
Apologies: Jane Davies 88a, Margaret Mathias 159, Gordon Goldsmith 120a.
The meeting opened at 11:00.
Chairman’s Report:
Mike opened the meeting by welcoming everyone in Welsh and English. He went on to say:
Pontcanna Permanent Allotments is a locally managed site, the allotments Association has a Constitution, and there is a Local Management Agreement between ourselves and the Council.
The Association has three main responsibilities:
- Clearing of vacant plots – often including removal of rubbish – and offering these new plots to new tenants from the Council’s waiting list.
- Site maintenance to boundaries, gates, locks, water troughs, hedges and tracks.
- Annual plot inspections following a procedure required by the Council. In the event of persistent non-cultivation without a reasonable explanation the Council should terminate the tenancy and the plot be released.
The allotment Association is made up of unpaid volunteers, we are not staff.
The Association receives an annual grant from the Council based on the number of plots.
The Council has its own responsibilities under the Local Management Agreement including eviction in the case of non-cultivation. They are of course staff and not volunteers.
To us this is a fantastic allotment site with wonderful soil. However, others may see this as prime development land, and so we need to make sure the site is fully cultivated and managed as required by the Tenancy Agreements and the LMA.
He introduced Sue as giving her report next, and explained that she had been Site Representative for many years, most recently as Acting Site Representative when nobody else came forward after Phil Reardon stood down. Sue has indicated that she was now stepping down in this role.
Mike proposed a vote of thanks to Sue for all her work and general applause followed.
Site Representative’s report (shared role):
Sue explained that despite the continuing issues with the Council Orkastrate system she had been able to let out twenty-six plots. The Council have not been able to provide an up to date list of vacant plots.
The Clean and Quit process for this year has been completed, with the PPAA requesting that the Council issue termination of tenancy for ten plots
Rubbish and rotting structures is an ongoing issue for the site, and is responsible for a large proportion of site volunteer time and expenditure to remove.
Alec McSkimming asked from the floor the current situation with the site underground water leak. Mike Powell responded it was the responsibility of the Council and ongoing.
Treasurer’s report: Wendy
Wendy talked through the accounts for 2025/2026, and although they had been submitted to the Council on time, along with proof of site insurance, the annual grant was late in being paid.
She discussed that plot holders should think about setting up an annual DD to pay their £5 PPA subs.
Alex McSkimming asked why no interest was being earned on the funds held.
Sera Jones asked if the sum held for plot deposits was larger than the number of plot holders. Wendy confirmed that this is regularly assessed and monies transferred to the main funds block if the amount becomes too large.
Election Committee Members: Mike
Chair: Gordon Goldsmith had self nominated in absentia
Nominated – Gordon Goldsmith
Seconded – Wendy Gunter
Site Representative:
Nominated – Mike Powell
Seconded – Martin Pasek
Nominated – Sera Jones
Seconded – Martin Keane
It was agreed that as their were two candidates a separate e vote would be sent out on Wednesday 16th June, with both candidates being invited to provide a short resumé to be attached.
Treasurer: Nominated – Wendy Gunter
Seconded – Lewis Evans
Committee: Existing Committee all standing for re election
New nominee – Adrian Peters
Seconded – Mel Ford
The two candidates standing for Site Representative both indicated that they were happy to stand on the Committee if not elected to the post.
Plant Sale: Mike
Approximately £352 had been raised. Thanks were extended to John Morgan plot 21, and Seren Morris-Watts plot 5, for their work.
There were positive responses from around the floor as to the success of the sale.
AOB
Alec McSkimming thanked the Committee for their work over the past year, and singled out the hedge development work along the spine road for praise.
Caroline Ritchie and June Bush offered to have an “open morning’ on their plot to discuss “No Dig” without unnecessary cost. This was welcomed.
Martin Keane said if people joined the Charles Dowding Society they would be given many techniques to help garden in the manner that Caroline and Jane had discussed.
Martin Keane asked about wood chip deliveries and was reminded that they are provided only by the Council. He asked if he could have his own deliveries and the answer was yes, but only on to his own plot, and for Martin to let the deliverer in and out himself.
Wanda O’Connor and Alec McSkimming stated they were happy with the current system and with the quality of the wood chip delivered.
There was no further business and the meeting ended at 11:52.
Thank you very much for these minutes.
Because of the quite widespread demand for a continuous supply of wood chip – although neither the Tenancy Agreement nor PPAA membership give such an entitlement – I thought it worth enlarging on the minuted conversation on the topic.
Martin Keane raised the matter, and – if I understood him correctly, he’ll correct me if I’m wrong – Martin K was advocating a return to the days when private gardening and tree contractors had carte blanche to tip their trade waste in the Western Avenue car park, or plot holders could invite such traders that they happened to know to do this.
I explained that this had led to the car park being substantially filled with piles of unwanted material, which was simply growing in volume, and that it had cost a great deal to get this cleared.
Martin asked if I had photographic evidence of this material, and proof of the money spent. His implication, I think, was that if I didn’t, then my account could be dismissed, and again he will correct me if I’m wrong.
Of course I don’t, at this distance in time, have any such things, but I would invite the reader to consider the content of the Minutes for October 2017 and May 2018, where others replicate my words almost exactly.
As Sue pointed out at the meeting, the position has not changed since those Minutes.
Martin P
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