Pontcanna Permanent Allotments Association (PPAA) Committee

PPAA Committee Members

The members of the PPAA Committee are as follows:-

Site Representative (“Site Secretary”) – These duties are presently being shared amongst the Committee, pending appointment to the position. However, the Council rely on Sue Pasek (member, Open Spaces Society) as their contact, and she also undertakes the central role of plot lettings to new tenants, as well as dealing with most other correspondence. She is also a signatory to the LMA deed. Links on this site to message the Site Rep and similar will therefore still work for this purpose.
Treasurer – Wendy Gunter, who is also signatory to the LMA deed.
Chair – As an interim, both Sue Pasek and Wendy Gunter are willing – as signatories to the LMA Deed – to undertake this for meetings, as agreed at the recent 2024 AGM.
Other Committee Members (alphabetical order) – Jane Davies, Lewis Evans, Gordon Goldsmith, Nerys Lloyd-Pierce, Martin Pasek (Website administrator, member, Open Spaces Society), Mike Powell, Rhys Williams.

PPAA is an association of gardeners for gardeners. Its Constitution, and its Local Management Agreement with the Council make clear that it isn’t expected to be anything else. A central objective is to promote the interests, and to protect the rights and freedoms of PPA gardeners, which parallels e.g. the NFU’s to act similarly for farmers. The LMA defines its central duties, and so the commitment to undertake these isn’t generally a matter for debate.

PPAA Committee have customarily aimed to meet on the first Tuesday of each month, though of late, owing to members’ family and other considerations, and to the fact of e.g. group email, and there being no constitutional requirement for such regular meetings, these may often be replaced by such other arrangements as might suit. If there should be full procedural ones, then the minutes will be published on this website. However, there’ll likely be less formal, non-minuted meetings, of sub-groups of Committee members too. Typically, these would be to discuss the practicalities of works specified by the LMA, and be attended by those who’ve volunteered to do, to arrange, or to support them. Such meetings will probably now be the more frequent. No drinks or other refreshments are bought out of PPAA funds at any meeting.

Under the LMA the volunteers’ prime responsibilities are:

To clear vacated plots, and to offer these to applicants on the Council’s Waiting List.
To perform or to arrange site maintenance (keeping gates, locks, and water troughs serviceable, hedges cut, and trackways clear of weeds.)
To carry out the Council’s required plot inspections to identify neglected plots.

(With the very limited amount of volunteer time and effort available it has to be said, that as it stands, there isn’t much scope for anything else.)

However, if anyone’s any suggestions that they wish to be considered for discussion at a meeting, then they shouldn’t hesitate to get in touch.

Please remember that the Committee are all unpaid volunteers, with other demands such as work, caring for family – and their own plots – calling upon their time. So email and contact form requests for their attention should state clearly the matter in relation to which it is asked. This is so that it can be dealt with efficiently and, where proper, remotely. Demands for meetings on unspecified issues etc. may be forwarded to the Council’s Allotments Officer.

Annual General Meeting

The PPAA AGM is normally held in the Spring. All plot holders are cordially invited to attend, where we’re all able to raise issues, to ask questions, to join the discussions, and to vote on any matter for which one is called. The date and location are usually announced nearer the time, by notices on the two site notice boards, on this website, and often by ones also affixed to the two entrance gates.

PPAA Committee Minutes – click here

Accounts

In the interests of transparency, links to the accounts will be posted below.

2023 – 2024, 2024 – 2025

However, in general, volunteer associations like PPAA are not bound by Freedom of Information (FOI) law in the UK, as this legislation primarily applies to public authorities.

FOI legislation (the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 in Scotland) provides a right for the public to access information held by specific public bodies, such as government departments, local councils, the NHS, and state schools.

Key points regarding volunteer associations and FOI law:

Not public authorities: Voluntary sector organisations and most charities do not fall under the legal definition of a public authority and are not legally obliged to respond to FOI requests.
Receiving public money is not enough: An organisation receiving public funding, such as grants or contracts, does not automatically make it subject to FOI law.
Indirect impact: Information a volunteer association provides to a public authority may be subject to an FOI request made to that public authority. The public authority would be responsible for responding to the request for the relevant information it holds.
Limited exceptions: Exceptions are rare and generally limited to cases where a company or charity is wholly owned by one or more public authorities.

(As a matter of good practice however, such organisations are generally encouraged to be transparent, and may choose to share certain information publicly, such as annual accounts, but this is generally at the trustees’ discretion, not a legal requirement under FOI.)

Association constitution

Please note that the provisions stated – e.g. regarding tool loan, which isn’t presently possible – are only so far as reasonably practicable, given availability of volunteer effort, affordability of insurance and so on. The reference to HarlechGC is an anachronism, this having been formally wound up by the Council and its remaining assets transferred to PPAA.

PPAA Committee.

Cardiff County Council – Constitution for an Allotment Association

1. NAME:

The Pontcanna Permanent Allotment Association

2. OBJECTIVES:

(1) To promote the interests of allotment holders and to take joint action for the benefit of members

(2) To co-operate with any committee set up by the government, local authorities and other bodies, to further the interests of allotment holders

(3) To co-operate with any committee, local authority, national or local body set up to provide seeds, potatoes, tools, etc., for allotment holders

(4) To take whatever steps required with the local authority for the good management and cultivation of allotment gardens

(5) To protect members from damage, trespass and theft, where possible

(6) To encourage use of allotments and advertise plot vacancies

(7) To arrange lectures, film shows, demonstrations, competitions and other social events

(8) To co-operate with other gardening associations in matters of mutual interest

3. MEMBERS:

The Association shall consist of all persons who are current, legal and paid up holders of allotment gardens on the Pontcanna Permanent Allotment Site. [Our understanding is that this means actually recorded as named on the tenancy by the Council.]

4. SUBSCRIPTIONS:

All plot holders [as defined above] are entitled to join the Pontcanna Permanent Allotments Association. There are three levels of membership. All members [as defined above] are entitled to vote at Association elections.

Full Membership (£5)

Free use of manure

Free use of wood chip

Free use of PPAA tools

Use of shop (Harlech Gardening Club)

Associate Membership (£2)

Use of the shop only

Free membership

All other plot holders are members of the PPAA at no charge, but are not able to make use of any of the benefits listed above.

Only full membership entitles plot holders to manure and wood chip.

All members have the right to vote in Association elections.

5. OFFICERS:

The Officers shall be a Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary, who shall be ex-officio members of the Committee. They shall be elected at each Annual General Meeting. Retiring Officers shall be eligible for re-election.

6. COMMITTEE:

The affairs of the Association will be conducted by a Committee of Management of not less than 8 members for the Allotment Site. The Committee will retire at the Annual General Meeting but will be eligible for re-election. Casual vacancies shall be filled by the Committee and the members so appointed shall hold office until the next Annual General Meeting. A quorum at Committee meetings shall be not less than 4 members.

7. GENERAL MEETINGS:

The Annual General Meeting, of which seven days’ notice shall be given and at which the audited accounts and Secretary’s report shall be submitted and the officers for the ensuing year elected. If a Special General Meeting is necessary, it must be called by a minimum of ten members at a Committee or a General Meeting. Six members shall form a quorum and in the case of equal voting the Chair shall have a casting vote. Voting shall be on the basis of one vote per allotment holder, irrespective of the number of plots cultivated. Members will be notified in advance of any proposed changes to the Constitution which will be discussed and voted on at a General Meeting. Records of the meeting to be provided to Cardiff County Council.

8. No party political or sectarian discussions shall be raised or resolutions proposed at either Committee or General Meeting.

9. FUNDS:

The Committee shall open a bank account in the name of the Association and all monies received from any source on behalf of the Association shall be paid into such account. Cheques shall be signed by two out of three signatories.

10. AUDIT:

There shall be appointed an auditor, who is not a member of the Committee, to audit the accounts and submit a Report to the Annual General Meeting.

Powers under Local Management Agreement

PPAA Committee have responsibilities under this legally-binding agreement – which takes the form of a deed – but also rights and powers. For instance, the Association is the Tenant-In-Possession of the agreed land, that is, of the whole site including abandoned buildings. In that sense the site is PPAA’s property rather as a leaseholder’s is. They would, it appears, therefore be entitled in that capacity e.g. to report fly-tippers and vandals to the police, to take action for trespass, and so on. They also have a legal right to require the Council to perform their undertakings. So although PPAA perhaps can’t themselves enforce the tenancy agreement between a plot holder and the Council – not being a party – they can require the Council to do this where necessary – for instance where they’ve reminded a plot holder of their responsibilities under their tenancy agreement but have been ignored. Any person may remind a plot holder of the terms of their tenancy, and this by definition includes members of the Committee.

Specimen text of Local Management Agreement (“Level 2”)

PPAA Committee have executed – with new signatories – a like agreement for a further three years. When an electronic copy is available it will be posted below. The plan to which this refers can be found here.

Pontcanna Permanent Local Management Agreement – Level 2 April 2020-Mar 2023