Articles

Reporting of dangers

In arguably more enlightened countries, e.g. France, Non Assistance Of A Person In Danger is a criminal offence, punishable by a fine of up to seventy-five thousand euros, and or as much as five years imprisonment. In England and Wales on the other hand, the right of the Lord Of The Manor to have his day untroubled by the discovery of someone seriously injured on the pavement is apparently considered to be more important, and so he’s legally entitled to ignore such a person and their predicament.

What has this to do with allotments? The reader might ask. Well, during and following the recent unseasonably windy weather, a number of branches have fallen onto plots from trees growing on Council property, Llandaff Fields Park, and these could easily have harmed anyone who happened to be beneath. Furthermore, on inspection, it’s clear, that over time, many more branches will become likely to fall, owing to the poor health of these trees. A number of such incidents have been reported to PPAA Committee members, and it sometimes appeared that the messengers expected them to ensure that this danger is addressed and removed, and that having passed on their observations, they themselves were absolved of any responsibility, moral or otherwise, to do anything further.

The paid post holders of corporate or other entities are legally bound by a Duty Of Care to require them not to act negligently, in such a way as to endanger either the general public, other employees, customers, service users, or whomever. However, the unpaid volunteers of PPAA Committee aren’t such people, and are bound instead by only the same duty not to behave recklessly as binds every member of the public. That is, they’re generally no more empowered or responsible for the reporting of any danger to the relevant body than is anyone else, e.g. any other plot holder.

With particular regard to dangerous trees on Council land adjoining site, PPAA Committee members have reported them several times using either the public on line reporting form, or by email to Parks Parks@cardiff.gov.uk and in some urgent instances action was taken by the Council, but anyone else could equally have done this, and PPAA Committee enjoy no privileged position in this regard, nor responsibility under the Local Management Agreement to do so either. So it would be of assistance, if those with any such concerns took the necessary action and made the reports themselves, rather than to expect others, who might be too busy to do so, or who might simply forget, to do this. The links in this paragraph will enable this, but our experience is that the Council are very stretched in this area of work, and usually down-prioritise jobs which aren’t an immediate danger to e.g. schools, to the extent that a reply to such reports isn’t to be expected as a certainty.

While you’re here…

It’s a minor oddity, but the pictured spade appeared on a plot recently, and it’s nothing to do with either its tenants or their immediate neighbours, so if anyone can account for this, then we’d be interested to hear.

Update: the spade has been reunited with its owner, who reported that they had found their shed open, but the only thing missing was the spade. Curiously, the plot from which it was taken was a long way from the one on which it was found. Furthermore, it was stuck into the ground upright where digging was presently taking place as if being used, and not simply thrown down. The plot holders – who reported the find – have more than one spade of their own however.

PPA Website Team

Suggest a title for this piece…

PPAA have just received this email from a lady plot holder on Llandaff Fields Allotments (those with one gate opposite ours):

This might explain some of what has also happened on PPA site, and emphasises why the gates should be kept locked at all times. Sadly, it appears that allotments are now very much considered A Thing by the criminal classes and their kids.

PPA Website Team

Our entitlements

Each plot holder, under their Tenancy Agreement is entitled to:

  • Their plot, as seen when they were shown it.
  • To use the access tracks and partition paths, so far as necessary, to access their plot or other entitlements.
  • To use the water supply.
  • To use the car parks for that purpose.
  • To do any other thing expressed or implied as permitted by their Tenancy Agreement, but only to the extent allowed by its terms, e.g. to bring a dog, on a lead, onto their plot.

If they’re a full member of the Pontcanna Permanent Allotments Association, having paid their five pounds annual subscription, then they’re also entitled to:

  • The use of manure when available.
  • The use of wood chips when available.
  • To enter the draw for a bed in the communal poly tunnel.

All tenants are automatically basic members of PPAA at no charge, and are therefore entitled to:

  • Vote at AGMs
  • Stand as PPAA Committee members
  • Use the shop facilities and Plant Sale as and when available. (Notwithstanding the present wording of the Constitution, PPAA Committee have said that everyone can use these.)
  • The use of any other PPAA benefit that’s intended to be for all e.g. the bring-and-take point.

An important point about the narrow paths between plots is that they’re composed of part of each adjoining plot. So in principle, if anyone goes on these when they don’t have a purpose for access, then they’re on someone else’s plot without either their invitation or other authority. Many plot holders will understandably be suspicious if they find someone who’s not a near neighbour on their path, and may well react accordingly. So if anyone’s curious – as many of us are – about what someone else is growing or how, then it’s best to observe from the wide, Committee-maintained trackways only.

PPA Website Team

July newsletter

What a bumper crop this year!

We’ve never seen so much fruit, weighing down the branches on trees, but it doesn’t end there…

(Those potatoes were from just two plants, one Charlotte and one Desirée. The largest are about ten centimetres, four inches long. The rest of the plants are still growing on, furthermore.)

Many people will find their trees offering far more than they can eat, but please don’t anyone let this go to waste. They can contact a charity, such as Orchard Cardiff (click the link), who will very gratefully meet them to harvest their surplus fruit.

Site representatives’ meetings

Allotments associations’ representatives in Cardiff attend two kinds of regular meetings. There are bi-monthly Site Representatives’ meetings with the Council’s Allotments department, where matters of Council policy, procedure, funding, and capacity matters are discussed, with a view to ironing out any problems which would affect sites across Cardiff generally.

One current project is the introduction of the Orkastrate IT system for the management of:

  • allotments tenancies
  • waiting lists
  • billing
  • further relevant data

When fully operational, this is intended to make accessible in real time, for Site Representatives, the state of:

  • plot occupation
  • the plot inspection process
  • waiting lists
  • other necessities

However, at present it’s only in the initial stages. Consequently Site Reps are still reliant for the time being on the periodic lists issued by the Council – which may be months out of date.

In addition to the Site Reps meetings, Sue has also attended the Orkastrate training session and taken receipt of the device – a tablet – that the Council issue to access the system. There’s one per site.

The second type of meeting that Site Representatives attend – as Sue again did recently – are those of the Cardiff Allotment Holders Association (CAHA). These are also bi-monthly, but on the alternate months from the Council’s meetings.

CAHA are completely independent of the Council, and the meetings are important, because they enable the collective of Cardiff Site Reps to discuss – in confidence if necessary – any matter, and then to speak with one voice on that at the meetings with the Council.

Thanks to our independent volunteers

The planting around the site of long-flowering, hardy, pollinator-attracting shrubs is moving on, and our special thanks go to Tim Robinson and Katrina Couper for their latest work in preparing and planting out the verge by the southeast gate, and, probably as we write, the vacant ground at the end of Road Seven.

The range and variety of these shrubs will be extended as cuttings are grown on and reach maturity, and as other suitable locations around the site are cleared and prepared.

A major project that the Committee hope to complete over the coming months is the removal of the unsuitable subjects such as sycamore from the main hedge, and their replacement with slower growing, traditional hedging, such as sloe and hawthorn. This will look better, improve site security, remove the nuisance to car drivers, cyclists and pedestrians, and also greatly reduce the maintenance burden. Furthermore these can be interspersed with honeysuckle, a batch of cuttings of which are presently being tended. (Incidentally, now that the legal position is apparently clearer, the hedge will shortly be cut, which will no doubt come as a relief to drivers.)

Honeysuckle cuttings and abelia being grown on in pots

A last happy thing

In addition to the bumper crops seen about the site, many people have noted the frequent sightings of quite a range of butterflies. Anyone interested can help researchers to get a better picture of the national position, by taking part in The Big Butterfly Count (click the link.)

PPA Website Team

Site maintenance – wildlife protection, legal concerns

Commercial farmland or horticultural land in Wales is, it appears – according to the NFU Wales site – still subject to the very strict controls, which were introduced during membership of the European Union, known as GAEC (Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition) rules. If applicable to allotments, then these would have meant, in principle, a complete cessation of site management actions such as hedge cutting and tree pruning from March 1st to August 31st. Allotments are classed under planning law as agricultural land, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they are classed as such under other law.

So we asked Google the question “Are allotments covered by GAEC?”, and this was the response:

…there was a lot more in this vein.

This supports what we’ve seen the Council do too. That is, on occasions they’ve cut the main hedge in summer using an agricultural cutter, although it’s unclear why they did this, as such maintenance is stated to be a responsibility of PPAA under its Local Management Agreement.

So it would seem that there need be no moratorium on important site maintenance during the spring and summer, but it must be borne in mind, that everyone is still bound by the law which is applicable, and very importantly that includes the Wildlife And Countryside Act 1981, which states:

So pulling this together would mean that normal maintenance such as hedge cutting and tree pruning can proceed, but every care must be taken to ensure that no bird, its nest, or eggs are damaged or obstructed.

Previously, PPAA Committee have, perhaps understandably, been uncertain on some of these points, but the position does seem clearer now.

PPA Website Team

Wasps – are they always a problem?

We’re approaching the peak in wasp activity on and around the site, and PPAA Committee are receiving email on the topic. The options, as to the appropriate course of action are explained in this article, and so plot holders are encouraged to read that, and so save the time, which might otherwise be spent on perhaps unnecessary correspondence.

The Committee will make an assessment as to the need for treatment where the nest is affecting a communal area such as a track or car park*, and will oversee what needs to be done – if anything. However, if it isn’t, then it’s entirely a matter for the concerned plot holder.

A general point is that wasps nests don’t survive the winter anyway, and so the problem will resolve itself within a few months. If it’s only causing minor inconvenience, then this might inform a decision to take no action.

Update 31 07 25: There were two wasps nests, one each side of the manure heap by the shop, and these have been treated. The remains of the nests have been removed..

PPA Website Team

Broad beans saved by ladybirds

We planted broad beans a few weeks ago, but before they could get going they became weedy and sickly, having all the life sucked out of them by dense plaques of blackfly.

Whatever, we propped them up and carried on watering them.

However, a few days ago we noticed that they seemed to be recovering, making sturdy new growth with healthy flowers. On closer inspection we found that they were now populated by ladybirds, making a feast of the blackfly, and leaving relatively few behind. There were quite a few ladybird larvae too, always a good thing to see.

Most of the blackfly have now been eaten, but there still seem to be quite a few greenfly. Perhaps they’re the ladybirds’ second choice?

Remains of blackfly colony

So if anyone should see blackfly, then we’d recommend checking for ladybirds before reaching for the insecticide spray, and they should remember that if they do use that, then they’ll likely kill off the ladybirds and their larvae too, so that when the blackfly return – as they will – there perhaps won’t be any ladybirds to deal with them. If there aren’t any ladybirds, then physical destruction of the aphids, by spraying the colonies with gentle detergent – e.g. water with washing up liquid – is to be preferred to chemical means anyway.

Healthier new growth and flowers

PPA Website Team

Some notices

AGM vote

Readers are reminded that the vote closes at 1400 this Sunday, 22nd June. Every named plot holder is entitled to participate. (If there should be any sceptics, as to the reliability of the count, then they’re advised to take a screen shot of the confirmation page, which shows after voting.) The AGM minutes will be updated to show the result. That is, there won’t be a separate notification.

New Tenancy Agreement Consultation

The Council have asked that all plot holders be reminded that this consultation is still open.

They’ve had a few hundred responses, but to be really meaningful it should involve a majority of plot holders, and as it stands they’re a long way short of that.

Wilful damage

There have been, sadly, at least three cases of frankly sick-in-the-head vandalism on the site recently. In one a glass-panelled shed door was smashed in (it wasn’t even locked), in another a greenhouse was very seriously damaged, with many panes knocked out or damaged, and in the third a rainwater container, newly installed by the poly tunnel was pierced. In all cases, the people subjected to this made very speedy repairs, and with outstanding calmness.

It could have been the work of one or more bored or wantonly destructive children, but if it were that of an adult, then questions do have to be asked as to their sanity.

(If there have been any other cases, then apart from reporting them to the police it would be helpful for those affected to let PPAA Committee know too.)

Whether it’s related or not isn’t known, but a PPA gate key was found on the track near to one incident. If it were a bona fide plot holder’s, then we’d have expected a request for another key, but so far that hasn’t happened, and it’s some days now.

Scrap metal collection, fly tipping

Any scrap metal can be left with the pile in front of the blue shipping container at the southeast end of the site, but please, nothing else. A volunteer from Cardiff Rivers Group collects scrap metal and it can be sold to raise funds. However, there is no collection at all for any other waste materials.

Someone has taken to leaving scrap wood, and there have been other materials such as plastics left too. This is simply fly tipping, and so must stop, anywhere on site. As our tenancies state clearly, the plot holder is responsible for removing all of their rubbish from site, and leaving it anywhere else puts their continuing tenure at real risk.

Thanks everyone.

Please don’t anyone do this

Planting out of pollinator-attracting flowering shrubs

These shrubs have now grown to a point where many are ready for planting out. Four plot holders have kindly offered to help with this work, and so we invite them and anyone else interested to get in touch to organise this.

What’s envisaged is the clearing, weeding, and mulching with a weed-suppressing layer of manure, of the verge immediately to the right and beside the car park at the Western Avenue gate, and the same for the triangle of land by the derelict cubicles at the end of Road Seven.

Once that’s done, suitable specimens from among the several dozen hypericum hidcote, sambucus nigra, and two varieties of hardy fuchsia that we have can be planted there. (We also have some native elder and quite a few abelia – which flower for months and the bees love – but these need further growing.)

PPA Website Team

Minutes for June 3rd 2025 PPAA Committee meeting, PPA site.

Present: Sue Pasek (Acting Chair), Wendy Gunter (Treasurer), Mike Powell, Jane Davies, Martin Pasek, Gordon Goldsmith, Nerys Lloyd-Pierce, Lewis Evans, Rhys Williams.

Apologies: n/a.

The meeting opened at 19:00.

Previous Minutes:

Matters covered below. 

Chairman’s Report:

Covered with Site Secretary report.

Site Secretary’s report: Sue (shared role)

  • During May four plots were let, there are another eight plots vacant, plot viewings are ongoing. 
  • A training morning is booked for Orkastrate (the Council’s new IT tenancy management system) in June.
  • Sue attended the Cardiff Allotments Representatives meeting on 14th May, Agenda Item One below covers one concern raised by a Site Rep from another site.
  • The annual “Clear or Quit” process required of the PPAA by Cardiff Council has reached its final stage with the PPAA Committee requesting to the Council that seven plots receive termination of tenancy notices. 

Treasurer’s report: Wendy

  • The PPAA bank account has a healthy balance, discussion re spending some of these funds included:
  • Refurbishment of  one block of red brick cubicles – awaiting quote.
  • Further tree works in the autumn.
  • Wendy raised the issue of the sum of money held for Key Deposits. The Committee unanimously agreed that any amount over £3,000 – sufficient to cover all tenants’ claims – should be transferred to the main funds.

Constitution and LMA: Sue

At the recent Council-Chaired Site Representatives meeting, one from another Cardiff site raised the issue of committee members, or of whole committees, who failed to honour the Local Management Agreement or their Constitution.

The Allotments Officer was later clear in stating, that if this were found to be the case, then a site would lose its grant funding, and cease to be self-managed. The ramifications of this for plot holders was discussed.

Plant Sale: Rhys

Rhys reported that there was sufficient plant stock for the plant sale to go ahead after the AGM. It was mentioned that plot holder John Morgan had been a great help to Rhys and also the Committee wished to pass on their thanks to plot holders who had already donated plants.

AGM: Sue

It was raised that many plot holders found it difficult to attend an AGM for a range of reasons, so it was proposed that the PPAA embrace the 21st century and adopt e-voting for the election of committee members and officers. The few plot holders without email would be able to vote by post. After discussion of the merits of the proposal, it was passed by eight-to-one, but with the objector agreeing to co-operate in the process.

AOB: 

Mike queried the safety issue raised by the dead willow trees on the spine road. Martin said that he had reported them using the Council’s “report a tree problem” form, but had so far had only the automated reply and nothing else.

Martin noted that the spine road hedge was becoming overgrown, and that motorists were complaining. Nerys agreed to do a birds nest check after the AGM, to allow a moderate cut back with quiet, battery-powered tools.

There was no further business and the meeting ended at 20:10.

The PPAA Committee meetings are regularly scheduled for the first Tuesday in the month, the next being 1st July 2025 at 1900, at The Cricketers, Cathedral Road, Cardiff.

Update: the above meeting has been cancelled. Owing to the fact of group email etc. and to the family and other circumstances of PPAA Officers, acting or substantive, for the time being in-person meetings will likely consist of smaller, informal (non-voting, non-minuted) subgroups. They will discuss the practicalities of routine undertakings specified by the Local Management Agreement etc., among those who’ve volunteered to do these. Those on the Waiting List can nonetheless be assured, that the clearing and reletting of vacated plots will continue as usual, as will site maintenance.

Updated Minutes for PPAA AGM, 1100, 8th June, 2025, PPA site (include voting result)

Vote as at closure, Sunday, 1400, June 22nd.

The results for the e-vote/postal ballot re all volunteers en bloc, held in connection with the PPAA 2025 AGM are as follows:

  • Total votes cast: sixty-five, of which sixty-two were e-votes, and three were paper ballots returned.
  • Votes FOR all candidates en bloc: sixty-four.
  • Votes AGAINST all candidates en bloc: one.
  • Spoiled ballots: none

The standing Committee members were therefore all returned. There were no additional volunteers.

To request a list of plot numbers, and the way that their respective tenants voted, please email PPAA Committee.

Meeting

Present:

PPAA Committee: 

Jane Davies, plot 88a, Lewis Evans, plot 88b, Wendy Gunter, plot 113b, (Treasurer) Nerys Lloyd-Pierce, plot 44, Martin Pasek, plot 73, Sue Pasek, plot 73 (Acting Chair), Rhys Williams, plot 137a. 

Apologies:

Gordon Goldsmith, plot 120a, Mike Powell, plot 142.

Attendees:

Martin Keane, plot 127a, Adrian Peters, plot 157 and Cardiff Salad Garden, Louise Shenstone, plot 157, Roger Benson, plot 127b, Tim Robinson, plot 104a, Katrina Couper, plot 104a, Dick Waters, plot 103b, Chris Roberts, plot 11, Sera Jones, plot 129, Jane Bush, plots 51a, 49a, Caroline Ritchie, plots 51a, 49a, Linda Burnell, plot 68a, Billy Turvey, plot 112b, Reg Matthews, plots 13b, 24b, Sally Holland, plot 12a, Mary Pope, plot 56b, Monica Nobrega, plot 62, Teresa Morris, plot 106, Sian Roberts, plot 116, Julie Parker, plot 146a.

Apologies:

Margaret Mathias, plot 159, Wyn Williams, plot 97b, Mel Ford, plot 64, Russ Casey, plot 94a, Rhian Llewellyn plot 101b, Amanda Tucker, plot 141.

Acting Chair’s welcome and round-up of past year: Sue

Sue explained that she and Wendy were the alternating Acting Chairs, and that the substantive office, along with that of Site Representative remained unfilled. 

Among the fairly numerous new tenants over the year to date, Sue was pleased to mention that nine of them were now on previously badly overgrown plots, alongside the historic wall, but which have been cleared and restituted. The plots were on average about five perches each, so this represents a considerable growing area.

Regarding the underground water leak, Sue reported that the Council had mistakenly recorded the leak as having been fixed, but that they have now been informed of the actual position. The water is now being left on so that their logger can relay the overnight base rate flow, that is, the leakage rate.

(There is a fuller round-up of the past year in the website article reminding readers of the coming AGM.)

Treasurer’s report: Wendy

Wendy brought paper copies of the last Income and Expenditure Account, and passed them round.

She reported that there was a healthy balance. Major items of outlay had been the tree works done by contractors and waste disposal of rubbish left on vacated plots.

Wendy explained that a particular difficulty was the collection and documentation of PPAA subscriptions paid, with quite a few tenants not supplying plot numbers and so on.

Lewis Evans asked if the payment of the subs could be made compulsory, and Martin Keane explained – from his previous experience on the Committee – that  it couldn’t make rules for members.

John Morgan wondered if the payment of subs could be made by means of a convenient electronic device on site, but as there is no electricity supply or internet connection, the general view was that this would perhaps necessitate more complication than it saved. It was estimated that about half of tenants paid the subs for full membership, entitling them to manure – for which PPAA pay a gratuity on each delivery – and wood chip.

Invitation to members to stand for Committee membership: Sue

All existing Committee members offered to be returned for the next year.

Dr. Wanda O’Connor kindly offered to join with the Committee to help as and when she could.

Caroline Ritchie asked what was involved in the Site Representative’s role. Sue and other Committee members gave examples, notably that it might involve showing up to forty people from the Waiting List a year round the site, to offer them plots.

A brief description of the e-voting/postal voting system – which was agreed by eight to one at the preceding PPAA Committee meeting – was given. As that precision had not yet been given at that point, Martin Keane wondered whether the decision to move to e-voting had been decided constitutionally, that is, by a properly quorate Committee, and the foregoing makes clear that it was.

[Update 09 06 25: the voting instructions for the e-vote have been modified, so as not to result in many disqualified votes. There have been none so far.]

Any other business: Attendees

Dick Waters was interested in the views of PPAA Committee as to specifics in the Council’s proposed new Tenancy Agreement, which is presently the subject of a consultation involving all Cardiff allotment tenants. Sue explained that the consultation was aimed at individual plot holders, and not at committees, so the proper place to express views would be in the response form for that consultation, and perhaps not to committees. Although it was of general interest to hear views, the number of possible issues put a detailed hearing beyond the scope of such a meeting as an association AGM.

Julie Parker said that she still hadn’t been billed for her plot rental by the Council. Sue explained that this was a common problem, and was partly perhaps due to the changeover to the new Orkastrate IT system for managing allotment tenancies in Cardiff, and has been acknowledged by the Council. Tenants were reassured that none would lose their plots as a result. However, on the other hand, Sue reminded those who actually had received a bill to make sure that they did indeed pay within the time limit.

Wanda asked whether her understanding was correct, that if a plot holder were suffering intrusive or other unwanted behaviour from another plot holder, then they would need to report the matter to the police themselves. Sue said that she was indeed correct. Martin added, that if there weren’t enough evidence of a crime to get the police to act, then it was always open to the tenant to take their own action under civil law, e.g. to apply for a Restraining Order.

Committee members:

Martin had a proposal to make a procedural change for members to serve on the Committee, which would involve them entering into a short, simple agreement – perhaps in the form of a deed – not to act in ways which were actively adverse to the Constitution, or to the provisions of the Local Management Agreement, or to the terms of tenancy, or which broke any law, by law, or similar codes relating to allotments. He envisaged that this would probably mean a change to the Constitution, which in turn would need a majority vote of PPAA members and approval by the Council.

He explained, that the reason for proposing this was what has happened at a significant number of sites across the country, including some in Cardiff, where honourable, industrious, and effective association committees had been collapsed, after e.g. grievance-motivated candidates had managed to get themselves elected, often at poorly-attended AGMs.

The proposal was generally supported, with Dick Waters kindly offering to work with Martin, to produce a first draft of the agreement envisaged.

Martin Keane expressed concern, that it was difficult enough to get volunteers as it stood, and that such an agreement might deter some who would otherwise offer. Martin P reassured that the envisaged agreement would in no way impose any positive obligation on anyone. That is, it wouldn’t make doing any general or particular work a binding duty for what are, and would remain, entirely at-will, unpaid volunteers.

There was no further business, and so Sue wound up the meeting, and thanked all for attending.

The Committee greatly appreciated the kind round of applause from attendees.

The meeting finished at 1220.

PPA Website Team