October 2011

New WFAS Committee
An interim committee has been appointed for the Federation. It includes representatives from sites in Bebington, Oxton, Wallasey, Bidston, Hoylake and West Kirby, as well as site secretaries, council and privately-managed sites, waiting lists and nsalg.

This committee will all step down at the next AGM to make way for a new committee elected at that meeting. They would like to encourage new people to step forwards and get involved, in order to represent the views of as many different types of sites, plotholders and areas of Wirral as possible.

See the Meetings page to download minutes from committee meetings, if you want to find out what's being discussed there.

Site Secretaries' Duties
It benefits everyone on the site if societies and site secretaries work together. So that you and your society are aware of what secretaries are doing on site, you can download a copy of Allotment Site Secretary Duties

August 2011

Site Secretaries' Newsletter
Download Wirral Council's newsletter for site secretaries August 2011.

November 2010

New Council policies
Download Wirral Council's new policies for bees, hens and pigeons on allotments.

Site Secretaries' Newsletter
Download Wirral Council's newsletter for site secretaries Oct 2010.

See Events page for video of the WFAS garden at Southport this year. Also has details of shows, allotment visits and upcoming gardening courses this Autumn.

September 2009

The Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee met on Monday, 21st September to discuss allotments (minutes). They considered:

• The report of the Allotment Development Officer,
• A request from officers for Members views on granting a peppercorn rent to self managed allotment sites.
• 2 petitions asking for (a) the use of an area of land in West Kirby and (b) more allotments in Hoylake,
• A letter from David Jones on behalf of the Federation asking for increased funding for allotments.

The Committee resolved

(1) That the work of the Allotments Development Officer be noted.

(2) That further reports be submitted to this Committee on possible allotment sites and any financial implications, and subject to further work by officers, endorses the development of the five sites currently being considered.

(3) That officers look into the possible transfer of Sandringham Avenue and Wingate Allotments to the respective allotment societies as a community asset transfer.

April 2009

Contacting the police

• Ring 999 if you see people on the site committing any criminal offences. For non urgent offences or incidents Tel. 709 6010 ask for Wirral Control Room.
• If several allotments are damaged, each plotholder should register this as an individual crime.

If appropriate for your site, find out more and think about registering with the Neighbourhood Watch Scheme.

Anti-vandal measures

Mark equipment with Smart Water, and unremovable stickers. Both available to buy from Manor Road Police Station, where you can also get free shed alarms and UV markers.
In addition, the council has anti-vandal paint available.

New Allotment Officer

Stella Joseph has been appointed to the post. She will be available in the office (666 4718) for telephone calls from 9-10 am and 4-5pm.

Federation Grants to Societies

Allotment Societies can apply for a small grant from the Federation. For more details download the application form or contact Barbara Higson.

News from sites

• Church Rd - received a grant for a portacabin and work to paths, to accommodate schools and disabled persons on site.
• Mosslands - organised an easter Brunch and would be participating in The Big Lunch national event.
• Thornton - Gardeners World recently filmed here. This is expected to be broadcast in the near future.
• Bebington Rd - allotment shop open for business.
• Dawson - have received Ł1,700 from Community Initiative Fund for replacement of their summer house.
• Newton Park - have made an application for lottery funding, and are considering toilets.
• Harris - their Open Day will be on 25th July, 2-4pm. All welcome. ...[more]
• Wirral Veg Show 16th August. ...[more]

2008

Composting
• Homebase - Local Sainsbury Homebase shops are willing to donate unwanted plants for composting. They will donate to Allotment Associations, not individuals. Please telephone first to arrange collection and take proof of membership of the Allotment Association.

• Coffee Grounds - Capuccino Coffee shop in Birkenhead and Starbucks in Heswall offer used coffee grounds. These can be used in composting and are said to deter slugs if scattered around plants.

• Breweries - Local breweries may be willing to offer used hops.

• Schools - Local schools may be willing to have collection of shredded paper and peel etc from fruit-for-schools scheme.

Freecycle
Freecycle groups match people who have things they want to get rid of with people who can use them, and so keeping usable items out of landfills. No money changes hands.

When signing up, look out for the option of not getting notification of posts to your email address, otherwise your in-box will be inundated with thousands of emails.

Allotment Steering Group
Representatives of the Wirral Federation and the Wirral Site Secretaries Association, have formed a small Steering Group to meet with officers of Wirral Council in order to seek clarification re the promised additional Ł40,000 for allotments. (April 2008)

They were advised that the Ł40k would in fact be spread over two financial years. The majority of it will be used to recruit an Allotment Development Officer, working 2 or 3 days a week. Their role will be to help both individual Societies and the Council to identify potential sources of funding for allotments on the Wirral, to help in submitting applications for the said funding and to seek to identify council owned land, especially in areas which currently lack adequate allotment provision, which could be used for allotments in order to reduce the current waiting lists. The post will be funded for two years and it is hoped that the Development Officer will be in post by the autumn.

At the same time Roger Calvert will be seeking to make a bid for capital funding for allotments for the next financial year.

The Steering Group will continue to meet to oversee the work of the Allotment Development Officer. Updates on the working of the Steering Group will be included in all future Wirral Fed meetings.

Police
The importance of individual plot holders reporting all incidents on allotments, not only to the site secretary, and the Allotment Officer but to the Police was stressed. The number of break-ins and incidents of arson on allotment sites has increased in recent weeks and unless plotholders demand action the situation is likely to deteriorate as the summer months arrive.

If a number of sheds are broken into on the same site, then each break-in must be reported to the police as a separate incident by plot holders.

Shed alarms are being made available to plot holders via Community Police.

Fly tipping
Incidents of fly tipping should be reported to the Environmental Dept at Wirral Borough who will investigate and prosecute the culprits whenever possible.