Our Annual General Meeting was held on 23 October at the Meanwood Institute. For the full story, read the minutes. Here is a summary.
Reports
The Chair reported that 2014 was a good season for most of us, with some bumper crops. It was also an active year, with seven Committee meetings, two Plant Bring and Buy Sales which brought in £400, and our annual Autumn show. We had several work parties: planting 100 blackthorn seedlings to reinforce our bottom fence, pruning brambles and tidying the hedge, tending a couple of large bonfires, and clearing the top of plot 46 for our coppice wood. The paths were kept mowed as usual almost without anyone noticing, thanks to Peter Blakey. We had a skip here during April for rubbish collected around the site.
Security was a bit less of a problem than last year. There were a couple of break-ins, but not much was taken. We had problems with one of our new combination locks, but it was replaced free of charge by Glendor DIY.
At an Extraordinary General Meeting in February we voted unanimously to donate £400 to the Leeds and District Allotment Gardeners “fighting fund” to help fund a judicial review of the Council’s decision to double our allotment rents. The judge’s decision from the 16th July hearing was that the Council’s rent rise illegal, so our rents for 2015 will not increase.
The Trustees held scheduled inspections on 1 March, 2 June, and 1 September, with follow-ups on 16 April and 16 October. They looked for health and safety problems and plots that were not being properly cultivated. There were two evictions, and several people gave up plots voluntarily.
Election of Officers
Officers were elected as follows:
- Chair: J Foster
- Secretary: A Willshaw
- Treasurer: N Clark
- Committee: L Allen, G North, J Ward, P Shore, J Oughton, D Hood, C Evans, R Hall.
Rosie Hall agreed to continue managing lettings.
Prizegiving
The Chair presented prizes as follows:
- Best Plot
- 1st Prize: Peter Blakey (13)
- 2nd Prize: Mary Davies (10BR)
- 3rd Prize: Jenny Ward (45)
- 4th Prize: Ros Dunlevey (37)
- Best Newcomer’s Plot: John Stonard (20BR) and Trina Evans-Cheung (20BL)
- Overall Winner of Autumn Show: Rosie Hall
- Best exhibit in Autumn Show: Ros Dunlevey
Many thanks to Joe Maiden for judging both the plots and the autumn show.
Thanks also to our generous sponsors, who provided the prizes:
- Glendor DIY, Moor Road
- Fobi DIY, Green Road
- Stephen H Smith Garden Centre, Otley
- Hightrees Garden Centre
- Cottage Road Cinema
- Mr Fothergill’s Seeds
- Marshall’s Seeds
- Thompson and Morgan Seeds
- Unwin’s Seeds
Discussion
We introduced our revised Guidelines, which aim for “Hollin Lane Allotments to be a friendly, harmonious, and productive place to grow food”. After a discussion, they were adopted by the meeting. They are now posted on the notice board on the green hut. You can also see them on this website on the Rules page.
We have won a grant of £350 from the St Chad’s Community Fund to establish a coppice wood at the top of plot 46. This would give us a supply of beanpoles and a natural area underplanted with native spring bulbs. We are also waiting to hear if we have won a £500 grant to create a social area and shelter above the green hut.
For more details of our discussion, please read the minutes of the meeting.