Page 5 - ALG Issue 4 2016

chairman’scomments
For those of you that keep up-to-date with this magazine, it will be no surprise to learn that the Secretary of State, for the third time, has agreed that Watford Council can appropriate the Farm Terrace allotment site. As a society we are deeply disappointed by the decision made in May this year. This is a historic site in Watford with over 120 plots and two earlier decisions have been overturned after appeals to the High Court. The Society does not consider that exceptional circumstances apply in this case or that Watford have proved that the site is crucial to the viability of the Health Campus Scheme. The Farm Terrace plot holders have made an application for Judicial Review of the decision again and permission for this review is currently being considered by the High Court; this will be heard on 21st October.
As a non-legal person, but one involved around the fringes of
the case, it seems to me that each time the Council apply for a Change of Use, their planned use also changes as it has changed from local hospital extension or at least buildings involved with that, then for housing, the sale of which was required to make the project nancially viable for the developers, and even at
one stage part of the allotments could be used as
a car park for the development work and nally
it may nish up as a car park for Watford Town
Football Club. Not a very laudable end to a once
thriving allotment site.
regional rules needed some attention. A little work was done on the subject but it was abandoned in favour of the national rules. A new subcommittee is being formed with a tentative remit to look at the regional organisation and its rules. The work will start with examining the existing regional rules and the relationship between the regions and the National Society, also between the regional body and its component parts. One of the early decisions the Committee will have to take is the actual involvement of the regions in the work ahead, the practical dif culties involved and the timescale necessary. I would expect the regions to involve their members in discussions and that feedback would be considered in a similar fashion to that used in the national rules.
On a lighter note, I assume that you are all seriously involved
in next year’s seed catalogue. Kings have again included several new varieties, some of which I will certainly be trying. Did you avail yourselves of the new Kings venture into plug plants? Speaking
to Kings, staff recently assured us that as they were learning from last year, this year’s system will be improved with better facilities at
The Association have again asked for our help,
and the Management Committee have authorised
our Legal and Operations Manager Liz Bunting to
contact the Courts and offer our “expert evidence” on the case. I am sure that you will eventually be given a fuller and more legal account of the situation, if not in this issue then as the case progresses as we consider the case to be of national interest to our members. We nd it most alarming that exceptional circumstances have been deemed to be proved in these circumstances where no rm undertaking has been given as to what the land will be used for, and the Council itself has acknowledged that the development could go ahead without
the allotments. Watford Council have argued that the allotments would provide readily developable land that could support important elements of their proposals. This could be argued by any council wanting to dispose of a site and we believe that allotment legislations should be strong enough to ensure that ‘exceptional circumstances’ are truly exceptional and hope that any forthcoming judicial review will be part of the process to help clarify this term.
One further worrying circumstance is that the Local Authority have admitted that, prior to the section 8 application, the site was well used, a condition for rejecting such applications but apparently ignored.
Rest assured that the National Society will support the Farm Terrace Association and will keep you informed as the case progresses.
Having seen the new rules through the AGM and now only waiting for the Financial Services Authorities OK before publishing on the website, you may be forgiven for thinking that the Management Committee were having a rest, but there is no such thing! Some time ago it was decided that the regional organisation and the
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As a society we are deeply disappointed by the decision made in May this year.
Kelvedon to handle the plants, better packaging and more attention will be paid to postal systems, all of which should ensure that we receive good quality plants in good condition. This must
be a boon to those of us who may not have propagating or greenhouse facilities available or indeed for those who may only want a few plants of several varieties. This may become a very useful service.
That is enough of my ramblings. It is a lovely afternoon and I have just about time for a couple of hours on the allotment.
Happy Gardening.
Tony Heeson, Chairman
STOP PRESS – The membership fees for associations and societies will rise on the 1 January 2017 to £3 per member.
Head Of ce
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