It’s understandable, that during the recent very strong sun and heat, those parking vehicles will seek shade. However, there’s no excuse for what’s happened here.
As was very well publicised here, there was a program of planting – by unpaid volunteers – of pollinator-supporting flowering shrubs last year, and many of these have grown well, thanks to the tending, weeding, watering, and feeding by those volunteers, and by kind others.
So it’s more than disappointing, to see the lack of observation and consideration for that work on the part of some drivers, who apparently think that their desire to park in as much shade as possible trumps everything else.
Here we see that a driver has reversed beyond the surfaced area, and someway up into the shrubbery planted and maintained by unpaid volunteers, in the apparent attempt to maximise the shade for their vehicle. In so doing, flowering shrubs have been damaged, like the St. John’s wort shown here.This is the vehicle whose driver is responsible for the damage. If you’re the driver, then please don’t do this again. If you’re not, but you know whose it is, then please mention to its owner their lack of awareness and its consequences.
A lot of unpaid work went into propagating these shrubs from cuttings, in preparing the ground for their planting, and in maintaining them since.
Please, everyone, support your fellow plot holders in such works.
A Dwr Cymru Inspector visited site a few weeks ago – at the invitation of a PPAA Committee member – and concluded that there’s a leak of about 1020 litres per hour, from the pipework below ground. (When we last checked, a cubic metre, 1000 litres, cost £1.98. Those fond of arithmetic can work out the annual cost to the council tax payers of Cardiff.)
Under PPAA’s Local Management Agreement, Cardiff Council are responsible for the maintenance of water infrastructure.
It’s an offence for a property owner to allow water to leak to wastage in contravention of the purposes for which it’s supplied, and on that basis Dwr Cymru issued a Notice to the Council, requiring a response within thirty days.
It would appear that the Council have taken action in response to the Notice, and accordingly, today, Martin met the Council’s Project Manager for this matter, along with an experienced water services contractor on site to gather details on the problem.
They apparently accepted Dwr Cymru’s position, and discussions on the best solution were begun. (Our understanding is that this matter has gone beyond Allotments and Parks to Council Board level, and that like consideration is extended to all Cardiff allotment sites with similar problems.)
We can, therefore, reasonably expect significant works before too long, and the need to work around these, but it’s encouraging to see apparently meaningful action being taken at last on this serious issue.
A typical section of the bramble thicket adjoining the northeast boundary of the site, seen from the park side.
We’re into the first full growing season since the intermittent row of mature hawthorns (the historic boundary hedge for the site) was crown lifted, to allow light to reach the under storey of mainly brambles. The hope was that these would then proliferate and flourish, to produce a thicket impenetrable to intruders, and also to enhance habitat for a range of animals, notably hedgehogs, and low-nesting birds such as robins, wrens, black caps, and so on. Previously, owning to shade, this undergrowth was very sparse – as was the PPA hedge – or completely absent in quite a few places, making access for intruders very easy. The work was also coupled with the removal of fast-growing, unsuitable subjects from the hedge beside the PPA track, such as sycamore.
The position now is:-
There is a dense, tall, broad, bramble thicket running nearly continuously for the length of the site, and this continues to grow and to spread, closing up the few remaining gaps.
The rough laid hedging and brashings from tree work – which formed a temporary security barrier – have now been almost completely shot through by brambles, nettles, and so on, giving a pleasantly green, vibrant appearance to the feature, and concealing the dead wood.
The maintenance burden of clipping low-hanging hawthorn branches over the main track has been greatly reduced.
The lighting for the hedge on the PPA side of the wire netting has been much improved, and the berberis, hawthorn, newly-planted pyracantha, and other subjects are responding well to this.
Holes were made in the wire netting at ground level, to allow animals such as hedgehogs easy entry and exit to and from the site. These are now being seen once more on PPA.
So we hope that the few who were concerned – alarmed even – by the temporary reduction in biomass that the initial work involved are now reassured to see that this is being greatly more than offset by the recent profusion of new growth.
Just a few of the items growing for the plant sale
The plant sale is set to be held from 11:00 to 14:00 on Saturday, May 16th, by the communal poly tunnel near to the southeast gate.
This isn’t just an opportunity to buy young vegetable plants at very reasonable prices, but also to meet, to chat, and to socialise at what is a convivial annual event.
Let’s hope for nice weather then!
Minutes for PPAA Committee meeting held on 5th May, 2026, at the Cricketers, Cathedral Road, Cardiff
Present: Mike Powell (Acting Chair), Wendy Gunter (Treasurer), Gordon Goldsmith, Sue Pasek (Acting Site Representative), Rhys Williams, Lewis Evans, Nerys Lloyd-Pierce.
Apologies: Martin Pasek.
The meeting opened at 19:00.
Matters arising from previous Minutes:
To be covered in agenda.
Chair’s report:
Mike attended the CAHA meeting on 22nd April.. Its main focus was to discuss the Economy & Culture Scrutiny Committee meeting held the day before, where CAHA had been invited to raise concerns with the service provided by the Allotments department. The full meeting may be viewed at https://cardiff.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/1081729
Plot Inspections have commenced. The first round identified the need for forty-four “Letters of Concern” to be sent. The second round of plot inspections is ongoing.
The annual plant sale will be held on Saturday, 16th May, from 11:00-14:00, by the communal poly tunnel at the southeast end of site.
Two vacant plots have been cleared by volunteers. Following the Council’s guidelines, the PPAA Committee will bill one of the previous plot holders for the cost of the rubbish removal.
Site Secretary’s report:
Sue reported that there had been no recent progress on the Orkastrate system, and that the requested up-to-date waiting lists were still awaited.
Treasurer’s report:
Wendy has submitted the verified PPAA accounts to the Council. She awaits the payment of our 2026-2027 grant.
A card reader has been purchased.
AOB:
A Welsh Water (Dwr Cymru) inspector has visited site, and confirmed that the underground water leak is significant. They have issued Cardiff Council, as the land owner, with a Notice to repair the leak, or possibly to face prosecution. The Council have thirty days to respond to them.
Mike raised the issue of the need for people to stand for the vacant Committee Officer posts. Sue has stated that she has acted in the capacity of Site Representative for several years, but will not be doing so after the AGM.
There was no further business, and the meeting ended at 20:15.
The next PPAA Committee meeting will be at the AGM, at 11:00 on Sunday, 14th June 2026 near to the southeast entrance of the PPA site.
The 2026 PPAA AGM is scheduled to be held at 11am, on Sunday, 14th June, by (or in) the communal poly tunnel near the southeast entrance.
All plot holders are at least basic members of the PPAA, and so it is hoped that as many as possible will attend the meeting.
Draft Agenda
Listing of those present – plot holders and Committee.
Chairman’s Welcome And Introduction.
Acting Site Representative’s (Site Secretary’s) report.
Treasurer’s Report.
Election/re-election of Officers (Chair, Site Secretary and Treasurer) and other Committee Members (currently there are five). Please note that Sue, who resigned as Site Representative a few years ago, but was requested by the Council to continue as their contact, will not be continuing in this capacity. The election will happen as follows:
New volunteers can be proposed – or propose themselves – and be seconded, along with those standing again. There will then be an e-vote, sent out by group email from the website (and also a paper one to those who don’t subscribe.) This will involve all tenants, and simply replicate the customary show of hands to approve or to reject, as a group, the designated Committee.
Volunteers to fill any of these roles are warmly invited to stand.
Plant Sale stats.
Any Other Business.
If anyone wishes to raise an issue at the meeting, then this could be added to the agenda (contact the PPAA in advance) or be raised under Any Other Business.
We very much hope to see as many plot holders as possible on the 14th June.
Fortunately, most people will be able to attend their plots and to water as necessary, however.
Less fortunately, the hundreds of pyracantha planted to form the main hedge have not yet been able to put down deep roots, and so are particularly vulnerable to these conditions.
Volunteers have been watering them every few days – ideally it would be more often – but they won’t be able to do this for the next four of five, and the dry weather looks perhaps set to continue.
So – as the Americans would say – we’re reaching out to all plot holders, particularly those whose plots adjoin the main track, and asking them, if they can, to keep these quite expensive shrubs watered every couple of days. Those with nearby plots might want to “adopt” part of the hedgerow to this end.
This shouldn’t need to go on for long. There’s every indication that the shrubs are starting to root more deeply, and a spell of traditional British weather would see them settle, but for now they need a hand.
It consisted of Councillors, Parks Management, allotments Site Representatives who had proposed themselves, the Secretary of Cardiff Allotments Holders Association (CAHA), and others.
Principal points discussed were:
The problems caused by the long delays in properly implementing the Orkastrate management software and hardware:
Associations not having up-to-date waiting lists, and running out of applicants for vacant plots.
Associations not knowing whether the tenancy of a plot has been formally and conclusively ended, and therefore whether they have authority to let it, and the length of time before this is known.
The waste of volunteer effort in clearing plots only for the above delays to cause them to become overgrown again.
The failure of the Council to follow through the Plot Inspection process within the prescribed time, meaning that plots remain neglected and volunteers have to repeat the work.
The disconnect between Allotments and the Council’s billing department meaning that many tenants have not received bills for over two years now.
Delays in repairing expensive water leaks or even in addressing them at all.
A lack of accountability.
Long delays in receiving replies to emails, if at all.
The webcast recording can be found here. It’s two-and-a-half hours long, but a lot of insight can be gained by having the patience to watch it. (In the opinion of the author, the elephant in the room is never mentioned.)
Tomorrow, Wednesday, 22nd April afternoon, a PPAA Committee member will be meeting an inspector from Dwr Cymru (Welsh Water) to investigate the underground leak which has been going on for a couple of years now.
Various stopcocks may be turned off for a time, but these interruptions shouldn’t last for more than a couple of hours, and there should be enough in the troughs to cover that.
So no one need be concerned if they should find a trough near them not filling for a time.
PPAA Committee are very grateful for the valuable help given by the last working party.
Given the scale of the task it was always going to be that further work would be needed however, and so volunteers are invited to meet again for this on Saturday, 25th April, at 10:30.
As before the meeting place will be by the PPA communal poly tunnel by the southeast gate.
The invitation’s to all on site again, not just those who’ve previously volunteered. Would those interested please contact PPAA Committee (whether they’ve done this before or not).
Sincere thanks,
Mike Powell, Sue Pasek, PPAA Committee
TLC needed around the site:
The planting of pollinator-supporting, flowering shrubs at various points around the site last season was successful, with a considerable number having found suitable homes. PPAA Committee are very grateful to those who volunteered to help with the planting.
Unfortunately, however, many of these are now in danger of being completely smothered by weeds, and a few have already been lost to this.
What is needed, then, is for volunteers to weed around the shrubs, and then, ideally, to apply a good layer of manure as a weed-suppressant mulch and also to fertilise the shrubs. A layer ten to fifteen centimetres thick should avert the need to keep re-weeding the plantings.
Everyone on site is invited to have a look and to see what they might do in this regard, not just those who kindly helped with the plantings. There’s no need to inform anyone if they should fancy a bit of pottering on this. (Committee members are otherwise heavily subscribed at the moment.)
(It’s apparent that a fair few PPA plot holders consider themselves to be ecologically-engaged and concerned people, so this is also a golden opportunity for them to invest something of themselves in improving things in that way on PPA!)
By the southernmost cubiclesBy the listed wall on Road ThreeBy the abandoned RCG toilet near plot 90. These are doing reasonably well.On the mound by the woodchip pen by the Western Avenue gateThe bed by the Western Avenue gate. This was mulched and is doing fairly well.
