Author: A Place To Grow Your Own

Present: Tim Llewellyn; David King; Ian Douglas; Gary Reed; Sue Jones; Martin Pasek; Dan Phillips; Alex Brown; Jane Williams; Monica Nobrega; Roger Phillips; Sue Waring; Nick Morris; Gail Chester; Jana Horak; Dick Waters; Rhiannon Simmonds; plus eight other non-signers including Adrian Walsh and Alan Turner.

Guests: Gareth Holden and Lynn Lewis, Chair and Secretary CAHA.

Apologies: Wendy Gunter; Ray Edwards.

The meeting began at 10:30am.

Chairman’s Welcome. Tim thanked the Committee for all their work over the year. It was generally agreed that the site was looking in better shape than it was a year back. In particular, thanks to Ian Douglas for the plant sale, to Alex Brown for the website, to Sue Jones for plot letting, and to Dave King for Treasurer’s duties.

Treasurer’s report. Dave King handed out an account summary, and reported a healthy balance, with about £10,000 available to spend, not being earmarked. He broke down the “general” heading main items as purchase of Heras fencing for the pens, and tractor hire for clearing the car parks. There were no questions and the accounts were duly accepted.

Election of officers. Secretary: Sue Jones was nominated by Tim Llewellyn, seconded by Alex Brown and carried. Treasurer: Wendy Gunter was nominated by Martin Pasek, seconded by Gary Reed and carried. The proposal to return the rest of the Committee was carried. Tim Llewellyn was re-elected as Chair, having been nominated by Dan Phillips and seconded by Gary Reed.

CAHA. Gareth Holden, Chair, and Llyn Lewis, Secretary, both gave interesting and informative speeches about the role of CAHA, and the relationship of sites to it. They reminded us that we are all members. Helpful advice on progressing Local Management was included, and the scope for CAHA taking on more of the Council’s present responsibilities was outlined. On July 29th there is to be a celebration for all Cardiff allotment holders. It will be a “safari supper” and barbecue, venue TBA. On July 16th there is to be an Open Day at Rhyd y Pennau, an Open Gardens Society site. All are welcome.

AOB. Ian Douglas urged all plotholders to come to the Committee with any ideas for improvements or requests that might come to them at any time.

Dick Waters asked, re the Local Management Agreement, whether PPAA was aiming to become totally self-managed. CAHA pointed out that at the present level (two) there is no responsibility for water infrastructure.

Dick also asked, in relation to CAHA’s proposed increase in responsibility for themselves, what would happen to title to the land in the various sites. We understood from Gareth, that the Council would retain the freehold, even if, say, subject to a lease in CAHA’s favour.

It was agreed that these were all matters for further discussion.

We were informed that CAHA is now incorporated, as a legal entity, with Limited Liability, which enables clarity in undertakings with the Council.

Adrian Walsh asked why CAHA wanted to take more control. The response was that there was some dissatisfaction with the Council’s handling of allotments, and that CAHA want to be a body to support all allotments in Cardiff, to protect the vulnerable ones, and to have better control of funding.

Tim thanked CAHA for attending.

Adrian asked why the Western Avenue gate was being closed on a Sunday morning, when the shop was open. The Committee re-iterated its position, which is stated on the PPAA website, in the notices on both notice boards, and on the signs on the gates. That is, that in the interests of site security, and in accordance with the terms of tenancy, no gate is ever left unlocked unattended.

There was no further business and the meeting closed at 11:10am.

Present: Tim Llewellyn; Dave King; Ian Douglas; Alex Brown; Dan Phillips; Martin Pasek; Gary Reed; Wendy Gunter.

Apologies: Sue Jones; Ray Edwards.

New committee member. Tim welcomed Wendy to the PPAA committee as Treasurer-elect.

Secretary’s duties. Tim completed an inspection of the site up to the plot 76 row recently and provided Sue with details of those not being tended. Sue has raised the question of the onerous paper work involved with new tenants who fail to pursue their interest. We shall discuss further at next month’s meeting. This item will remain as a standing agenda item until further notice (AP Sue/all).

Website. Martin asked Alex to rename the blogs tab as noticeboard. (AP Alex).

Plot numbering. We have nearly completed the site numbering; those remaining to be completed asap please. (AP all).

Storage. Dave is looking into acquiring an eco friendly roof for our new container, and will report back. (AP Dave).

Hedge. We are looking to fill gaps in the hedge and Ian will obtain whips to take this task forward. A working party can then be organised to plant them. (AP Ian).

Area behind polytunnel. We are looking into clearing the debris behind the poly tunnel. Dave has arranged for a contractor to visit later this week to quote for the job. (AP Dave).

Asbestos/ brick sheds. Sue has joined the council-led brick shed project; next meeting set for May. Dan will help with the numbering of the sheds. (AP Sue/Dan).

Thank You. The committee would like to say a big thank you to Dave for his excellent work as treasurer, and committee member. He hopes to continue helping wherever he can.

Plant Sale. The sale is set for Saturday 13 May, with a 10am start. Volunteers will be needed to help set up the trestle tables, so if anyone is willing to help please let the committee know.

AGM. The date for the AGM is Sunday 14 May 2017 at 10.30am. Dave has finalised the 2016/17 accounts for presentation.

Health & Safety. The dying tree adjacent to the shop gate is causing concern. Martin alerted the council 9 months ago, and nothing has been done. Ian will escalate to his local councillor. (AP Ian).

Dumping garden waste. Martin raised the problem of plot holders located near the Western Ave end not using the community composting areas designed for this waste. We decided that the best course of action would be to increase the number of compost bins to better cover all areas of our site. The first task will be to acquire the necessary pallets – Ian and Dave will take this on. Then the committee will arrange a Sunday working party to set them up. (AP Ian/Dave).

Gate security. Wendy raised concern about security procedures as she has had to lock the Western Ave gate after it had been left open. Martin has prepared a notice to explain what should be done. The bottom line is – lock the gate at all times. Failure to do so infringes paragraph 11 of the tenancy agreement.

Petty theft. Every allotment site suffers a degree of petty theft. Experience has shown that good housekeeping (keeping tools out of sight or at home) helps to reduce opportune pilfering. However, if the gate is continually left open we are leaving ourselves more exposed to this kind of theft.

The committee would like to encourage greater involvement from plot holders in the running of the site. Not necessarily sitting on the committee but contributing to useful site projects such as rubbish clearance, filling pot holes, etc. Can those interested please contact your nearest committee member.

Date of next meeting – Tuesday 6 June, Butchers Arms, Canton.

Present: Tim Llewellyn; Dave King; Ray Edwards; Sue Jones; Martin Pasek; Gary Reed. Apologies: Ian Douglas; Alex Brown; Dan Phillips.

Secretary’s duties. In future if the committee can inform Sue if plots in their vicinity are not being worked she will do the necessary follow up. 30 reminders were sent to plot holders last month, and 8 new plots were let. The waiting list is now below 60. This item will remain as a standing agenda item until further notice (AP Sue/all).

Website. Our new website is now live, pontcannapaa.com. All plot holders are invited to access the site and let the committee know if there are any modifications or additions which would improve it.

Plot numbering. Gary has prepared the plot numbers for Dan’s area and Sue will display them. (AP Sue).

Storage. The container is now operational and the spare water butts are now housed there, making the poly tunnel more accessible. Jane Williams has suggested we consider making the container more environmentally friendly. Dave will find out if an eco roof would be a solution. (AP Dave).

Hedge. We are looking to fill gaps in the hedge and Ian will obtain whips to take this task forward. A working party can then be organised to plant them. (AP Ian).

Area behind polytunnel. We are looking into clearing the debris behind the poly tunnel. Sue recommended the waste contractor she used for recent clearance work, which worked out cheaper and more effective than hiring a skip. Dave will contact them for a quote. (AP Dave).

Asbestos/ brick sheds. Sue has joined the council-led brick shed project; next meeting set for May. (AP Sue).

Woodchip. Plot holders need to be aware that new woodchip will not be delivered at the shop end until the contents of the bay have been used.

Spare soil. There is a quantity of good quality top soil near the communal compost heap adjacent to plot 48, which can be taken by plot holders for their use.

Thank You. The committee would like to say a big thank you to Dave for his excellent work as treasurer, and committee member. He hopes to continue helping wherever he can.

Plant Sale. Ian has started off the planting for the spring sale, which is set for Saturday 13 May, with a 10am start. Volunteers will be needed to help set up the trestle tables, so if anyone is willing to help please let the committee know.

The committee would like to encourage greater involvement from plot holders in the running of the site. Not necessarily sitting on the committee but contributing to useful site projects such as rubbish clearance, filling pot holes, etc. Can those interested please contact your nearest committee member.

AGM. The date for the AGM is Sunday 14 May 2017.

Date of next meeting – Tuesday 9 May, Butchers Arms, Canton.

A small group of volunteers have now cleared the carpark by the old clubhouse. Hopefully the woodchip pile will remain confined to the area left for it. Thanks to all those involved in the clean-up!

Present: Tim Llewellyn; Dave King; Ray Edwards; Sue Jones; Dan Phillips; Martin Pasek; Gary Reed; Frank Berry (RCG); Gordon Clark (RCG). Apologies: Ian Douglas; Alex Brown.

Secretary’s duties. In future if the committee can inform Sue if plots in their vicinity are not being worked she will do the necessary follow up. This item will remain as a standing agenda item until further notice (AP Sue/all).

Western Ave car park. Martin has removed the top layer of of mud from the underlying tarmac and found the base to be in reasonable condition, so no further work needed.

Website. Our new website is now live, pontcannapaa.com. Alex is managing it and has asked committee members to send him photos to update the committee page. Ray and Ianhave done theirs, can the rest of the committee do so. (AP committee).

Plot numbering. Gary handed out the plot numbers for Dave and Ray to display them on their areas of responsibility. Dan has asked Gary to do his. (AP Gary/Dan).

Storage. The container was delivered Tuesday morning, and Dave is happy with its condition. He will fit a new lock and cut a couple of keys for the committee’s use. (AP Dave).

Hedge. We are looking to fill gaps in the hedge and Dave can access whips of blackthorn, hawthorn, hazel, etc. by liaising with the head ranger at the Council. A working party can then plant them. (AP Dave).

Area behind polytunnel. We are looking into clearing the debris behind the poly tunnel. Sue recommended the waste contractor she used for recent clearance work, which worked out cheaper and more effective than hiring a skip. Dave will contact them for a quote. (AP Dave).

Riverside Community Garden. Frank and Gordon represented RCG to emphasise their willingness to work more closely with PPAA, including clearance of overgrown plots. Dave asked them to send invoices to him for work done. (AP RCG).

Polytunnel. There has been interest from plot holders in using the spare raised beds in the poly tunnel. The successful gardeners are John Morgan, Marcello Lo Celso and Polly Ferguson. Ian will use the other 2 raised beds available.

Asbestos. Sue has contacted Celia to ask if we can arrange for all asbestos to be removed from site. This is being looked at by a Cardiff-wide project so we’ll have to wait for their report findings. Sue will see if she can join the project. (AP Sue).

Taff Tidy. Ray reported that the day went well, they collected 15 bags of rubbish.

The shop. Councillor Holden (Cardiff Allotments Champion) visited the site last week to discuss the running of the shop with Adrian and Tim. There is an issue about a separate organisation (Harlech Gardening Club) running an allotment shop without involvement of the local allotment association. Ours is the only site in Cardiff to be run in this way. The PPAA committee cannot condone anything which may contravene the constitution or the LMA.

Woodchip. We have one authorised woodchip contractor – Michael Boyer. Another business – Llandaff Lumberjax – has been delivering recently without our permission. We are in the process of retrieving the key from Llandaff Lumberjax, so if they are seen on site they should be challenged. If individual plot holders want them to deliver then they must escort them on and off the site.

Shredding. We have an amount of wood offcuts to be shredded. A shredder costs about £1300 to purchase, so in the first instance we’ll ask Michael Boyer to quote for the job. (AP Sue).

Drainage. Martin mentioned that the area that has flooded in recent times has a considerable layer of silt which makes access to adjacent plots very difficult. Ray will provide Martin with contact details of the drainage contractors who carried out the work, to see how best to proceed. (AP Ray/Martin).

Spare soil. Ray pointed out that there is a quantity of good quality top soil (albeit with some stone in it) in the Western Ave car park, which can be taken by plot holders for their use.

Taking cuttings. The committee has been informed that someone has taken grapevine cuttings from a fellow plot holder without permission. This behaviour is unacceptable and could lead to the termination of a tenancy.

Thank You. The committee would like to say a big thank you to Jenny and her son Daniel for their ongoing work in clearing the old woodchip from the area near the old shop. It is much appreciated. Hopefully other volunteers will follow their example!

AGM. The provisional date for the AGM is Sunday 14 May 2017.

Date of next meeting – Tuesday 4 April, Butchers Arms, Canton.

Present: Tim Llewellyn; Dave King; Ray Edwards; Sue Jones; Martin Pasek; Alex Brown; Gary Reed; Hannah Ahmed (RCG); Gordon Clark (RCG). Apologies: Dan Phillips; Chris Springall.

Secretary’s duties. Sue, as lettings officer, will let us know which areas on site that need to checked. She has let 7 new plots recently – 10a, 44, 52a, 101a/b, 111b & 113b. This item will remain as a standing agenda item until further notice (AP Sue/all).

Car park. Martin will investigate the level of mud on top of the underlying tarmac (if any) in the top car park, before we consider asking the Council for assistance with improvements. (AP Martin).

Website. Our new website is now live, pontcannapaa.com. Alex is managing it and has started to put information on e.g., the recent manure delivery. Hannah has prepared a note about the RCG for inclusion; Alex is trying to get Celia’s agreement to include certain forms e.g., termination notices; Ray suggested we include details of Sunday fun runs as parking is affected; new plot holder information, if they agree; CAHA minutes; Tim to prepare a note about PPAA subs which are now due; committee members to send Alex photos to update the committee page. (AP Tim/all).

Plot numbering. Gary will prepare the plot numbers for Dave and Ray to display them on their areas of responsibility. (AP Gary/Ray/Dave).

Storage. Dave has sourced free of charge a 20ft by 7ft container which can be delivered to us, also free of charge. The site for it has been cleared in the shop car park, and Dave hopes to take delivery sometime next week. We could then consider purchase of a petrol shredder. (AP Dave).

Hedge. Concern was expressed about the recent severe hedge cut carried out by the Council. Dave and Tim met Will from Council Parks Dept last week and explained why the cut was too low; he agreed that in future it would be cut to 7 feet for better security. Dave also hopes to fill gaps with whips of blackthorn, hawthorn, hazel, etc. The Council also offered to rotivate newly cleared plots for us.

LMA/ Insurance. Agreement has now been reached with the Council about our 2016/17 grant and the full amount due has been paid into our account.

Resource Planning. Dave produced a plan of how we are going to use our finances over the next few years to show the Council that we have recognised what needs to be done on site, and plan to pay for it. The first job we’ll look at is clearing the debris behind the poly tunnel, which needs a mini digger. Dave has contact details and will investigate costs. The surplus wood chip near the shop could go there. (AP Dave).

Riverside Community Garden. Hannah and Gordon represented RCG to emphasise their willingness to work more closely with PPAA.

Polytunnel. Ian has started sowing seeds for the spring plant sale, and asked for any spare seed trays and pots which he can use to be left outside the poly tunnel. Sue has prepared a note for display which will offer access to spare raised beds in the poly tunnel, to plot holders, which Alex will put on the website. (AP Ian/Sue).

Asbestos. Sue will contact Celia to ask if we can arrange for all asbestos to be removed from site, as Dave can access suitable roofing materials to upgrade the brick sheds (AP Sue).

Tidy Up. Sue will get quotes for removing large items from the site. (AP Sue).

Taff Tidy. All those interested, we are meeting 10.30 at the top car park on Sunday 19 February.

Date of next meeting – Tuesday 7 March, Butchers Arms, Canton.

Present: Tim Llewellyn; Dave King; Ray Edwards; Sue Jones; Martin Pasek; Gary Reed; Chris Springall; Frank Berry (RCG); Apologies: Dan Phillips; Alex Brown

Secretary’s duties. Some of the committee have been unable to spend the necessary time needed to monitor their allotted part of the site, to ensure that plots are being worked. This will hopefully be remedied by the next meeting. This item will remain as a standing agenda item until further notice (AP all).

Car park. Ray has obtained a quote for tarmac upgrade for the top car park, which was too expensive to consider. Dave will look into the possibility of applying for a grant (AP Dave).

Website. Our new website is now live, pontcannapaa.com. Alex will oversee the entries onto the site and is keen to hear from any plot holder who would like to contribute to the website. Frank said that Hannah is working on a note from the RCG. Dave will prepare a note about 2107 PPAA subs for the website and noticeboards.(AP RCG/Dave).

Plot numbering. Gary will prepare the plot numbers for Dave and Ray to display them on their areas of responsibility. Ian will be next to do his. (AP Gary/Ian/Ray/Dave).

Storage. Dave has sourced free of charge a 20ft by 7ft container which can be delivered to us, also free of charge. The best site for it is in the shop car park, but some ground clearance work is needed first. A working group will meet on Saturday 14th January to do this.(AP Dave/Ray/Sue/Martin).

Hedge. Concern was expressed about the recent severe hedge cut carried out by the Council. We were given no notice of this and would have counselled against such a heavy handed exercise. Sue will pursue with Celia and Ray will ask the Parks Dept about the authorisation process. (AP Sue/Ray).

LMA/ Insurance. Discussions are still ongoing with the Council about the level of grant that will be offered to us for this financial year. (AP Tim/Dave).

Resource Planning. Dave is working on a plan of how we are going to use our finances over the next few years to show the Council that we have recognised what needs to be done on site, and plan to pay for it. We will also welcome any ideas from plot holders. (AP all/Dave).

Riverside Community Garden. Frank produced copies of his C & G award in chainsaw and cross cutting skills. He and his RCG colleagues are willing to play their part in getting overgrown plots ready for cultivation.

Polytunnel. Ian and Tim looked at the polytunnel recently and agreed that there would be no space for more raised beds, as the spring plant sale would need enough space for seeding and potting on. Sue has prepared a note for display which will offer access to spare raised beds to plot holders, which Tim and Ian will QA. (AP Sue/Ian/Tim).

Viv Turner. Sue has been in touch with Viv’s son who expressed a wish to make a donation to PPAA in her memory. Some ideas were discussed and Sue will pursue with him. (AP Sue).

Date of next meeting – Tuesday 7 February, Butchers Arms, Canton.

Present: Tim Llewellyn; Ian Douglas; Ray Edwards; Alex Brown; Sue Jones; Martin Pasek; Gary Reed; Frank Berry (RCG); Hannah Ahmed (RCG); Gordon Clark (RCG) Apologies: Dave King; Dan Phillips.

Secretary’s duties. Some of the committee have been unable to spend the necessary time needed to monitor their allotted part of the site, to ensure that plots are being worked. This will be remedied by the next meeting. This will remain as a standing agenda item until further notice (AP all).

Car park/manure. Ray has made progress with a notice near the top car park suggesting the best parking arrangement for users. RCG are also interested in improving their parking arrangements. Ray will seek quotes. (AP Ray).

Website. Our new website is now live, pontcannapaa.com. Many thanks to Alex for this work, and he will oversee the entries onto the site. He asked the Riverside Community Garden (RCG) group if they would provide some detail of their work and the services on offer to our plot holders for inclusion on the site. Alex is willing to hear from any plot holder who would like to contribute to the website. (AP RCG).

Plot numbering. Tim has completed the numbering of plots on his patch. Ian will be next to do his. (AP Ian/all).

Strimming of plots. The committee would like to use the strimmer which Ian has bought recently. With storage in mind the best option would be to use Dave’s lock up, which now has room for it. Dave will get more keys cut. (AP Dave). Also we will consider purchasing a weedkiller sprayer.

Hedge. Concern was expressed about the recent severe hedge cut carried out by the Council. We were given no notice of this and would have counselled against such a heavy handed exercise. Sue will pursue with Celia and Ray will ask the Parks Dept about the authorisation process. (AP Sue/Ray).

LMA/ Insurance. Discussions are ongoing with the Council about the level of grant that will be offered to us for this financial year. (AP Tim/Dave).

Resource Planning. Dave suggested at the last meeting that we need to produce a plan of how we are going to use our finances over the next few years to show the Council that we have recognised what needs to be done onsite, and plan to pay for it. We will also welcome any ideas from plot holders. (AP all).

Riverside Community Garden. Frank, Hannah and Gordon attended the meeting with a view to forging closer links between PPAA and RCG. It was a positive exchange of ideas and they will send a representative to future committee meetings.

Polytunnel. For the next meeting it was agreed that we need to consider the effective use of the polytunnel for the future. Should we set up more raised beds, how to extend access to plot holders, etc. Ian and Tim will look at the position when the committee meets onsite on Sunday for the tree work party. (AP Ian/Tim).

Date of next meeting – Tuesday 10 January, Butchers Arms, Canton.

Present: Tim Llewellyn; Dave King; Ian Douglas; Dan Phillips; Sue Jones; Martin Pasek; Gary Reed.

Apologies: Ray Edwards; Alex Brown; Monica Nobrega; Harriet Williams.

Secretary’s duties. Some of the committee have been unable to spend the necessary time needed to monitor their allotted part of the site, to ensure that plots are being worked. This will be remedied by the next meeting. This will remain as a standing agenda item until further notice (AP all).

Car park/manure. Ray will put up a notice near the top car park suggesting the best parking arrangement for users. (AP Ray).

Website. Alex has put together a skeleton website which was discussed and agreed that it can go live without further delay. Tim will feedback to Alex with a view for early implementation. (AP Tim).

Plot numbering. Gary has prepared signs for Tim’s plot areas that can be used. Before the rest of the committee members identify the plots on their patch which are not numbered, Tim will endeavour to put them on the relevant plots and feedback at the next meeting on the most effective method. (AP Tim).

Strimming of plots. The committee would like to use the strimmer which Ian has bought recently. With storage in mind the best option would be to use Dave’s lock up, which now has room for it. Dave will get more keys cut. (AP Dave). Also we will consider purchasing a weedkiller sprayer.

Hedge. The committee would like to thank Anthony for cutting the spine road hedge this year.

Communal compost bins. These are proving to be a very useful additional facility for plot holders to use. However, the committee would like to remind everyone that the success of the scheme depends on their full cooperation e.g. do not put pernicious weeds (mares tail, couch and bindweed) into the mix as it will store up problems in future. Also, some plastic and glass products were discovered in one bin this week. [Update: please note that this arrangement has been discontinued in accordance with Council rules, and PPAA intend to remove all remaining compost in due course. Would all plot holders please deal with composting on their own plots or remove it from site as our Rules Of Tenancy require – thanks] 

LMA/ Insurance. Dave has taken on the responsibility for insurance premium renewals to cover PPAA’s employers’ (and third party) liability. This along with the 2015/16 accounts were presented to Celia Hart last week. Discussions are ongoing with the Council about the level of grant that will be offered to us for this financial year. (AP Tim/Dave).

Resource Planning. Dave suggested that we need to produce a plan of how we are going to use our finances over the next few years to show the Council that we have recognised what needs to be done onsite, and plan to pay for it. With this in mind we agreed that the committee will meet on Sunday 20 November to walk the site and list the jobs that need consideration. We will also welcome any ideas from plot holders. (AP all).

The bottom (shop) gate. The committee expressed its thanks to Martin for resolving the problem with the bottom gate. It has been noticed that this gate is sometimes left unlocked. Can all plot holders please remember that it is their responsibility to lock the gate on entry and departure. There is no excuse now that it is in full working order.

Riverside Community Garden. Sue mentioned that a plot holder has asked her for help on their allotment. As the RCG has been very helpful in the past it was agreed that Sue would discuss this with the RCG. On a wider basis the committee thought it would be good to build closer working arrangements with the RCG. Dave will be in touch with Isla Horton later this week and ask her to attend a future PPAA committee meeting. (AP Sue/Dave).

Polytunnel. For the next meeting it was agreed that we need to consider the effective use of the polytunnel for the future. Should we set up more raised beds, how to extend access to plot holders, etc. (AP all).

Date of next meeting – Wednesday 14 December, Butchers Arms, Canton.