With regret, Allan (Plot 46) has decided circumstances mean he has to give up his plot. Allan has two fruit cages which he is putting up for sale at very good prices. You will find details posted by the entrance to his plot and in the Octagon. Contact Allan on 07918707801 or allan68.scott@gmail.com for further details.
Category: News Page 30 of 82
Saturday 13th July 2019 from 12 noon
Plotters and our volunteers, along with their families and friends, are invited to our Summer Barbecue
at the Community Orchard area of the Garthdee Field Allotments Site
Please bring your preferred BBQ food and drink (and if you can a salad or sweet to share with visitors)
There will be a Raffle with proceeds going to GFAA funds
Donations for the raffle will be gratefully received by
Gill Earle (Plot 64) Stuart Oram (Plot 8) or Norman Coutts (Plot 81)
Offers to loan BBQs would be especially helpful
Please send any queries or offers of help on the day to Gill Earle
g.earl20@btinternet.com / 07951021319
We welcomed a group of fifty Kaimhill Primary kids, staff and parents on site for the last visit of the term this week.
Huge thanks go to all the plotters who helped out on the day – some at very short notice. We were able to muster a team of over ten, making the plot visits for the near-fifty kids much more engaging and interesting. It’s great to know we can count on this sort of support when spreading the joys of gardening out to the next generation.
It’s not too late to enter your plot for the Aberdeen in Bloom Garden Competition 2019. This year’s entry form gives another wee glimpse of the glories of Sandy Inkster’s prize winning garden – as featured in the Beechgrove Garden when Jim McColl visited it.
Luckily, plots don’t have to be to this standard! Entering your plot helps fly the flag for Garthdee Field and shows support for the Council’s efforts to encourage gardening and plotting across the city.
There are a few entry forms available in the Octagon, or you can apply online using this link. Entries close 12 July.
These recent or impending changes to Council practice and regulations relating to allotments were indicated in papers presented for discussion at recent Allotment Representatives Network Meetings and may be of interest to many plotters.
Paper 1: Bee-keeping
“It has been brought to our Services attention that there may be unauthorised beekeeping activities at our allotment sites.
We require any persons who may be undertaking beekeeping without permission to contact our Service so we can consider the suitability of the plot and advise the process required for Beekeepers to meet our requirements to allow them to keep bees.
Our Service do allow a limited number of beekeeping plots at our allotment sites but there is a risk assessment policy in place to identify if an allotment is suitable.
Additionally there are requirements for a potential beekeeper to have a certain level of experience before permission will be granted and the beekeeper must have suitable Public Liability Insurance which can be obtained from the Scottish Beekeepers Association.Beekeeping on our Allotment sites without the necessary permission may result in termination of the tenant’s Allotment Lease.”
Paper 2: Community Empowerment Act 2015 – Part 9 (Allotments)
“Following delays and a series of consultations, the above has now been enacted and our Service requires to make changes to the way we operate our Allotment Service to comply with the Act. A brief summary of some of the main changes required are:
(a) An applicant has the right to specify the size of plot they require. If our Service offers an alternative size, the applicant has the option to accept the offer or reject it and retain their same position on the Waiting List.
(b) Applicants can apply for Joint Leases.
(c) Termination of Lease: our Service will require to give 1 month’s Notice of our “Intention to Terminate a Lease ” for example, following an Audit Failure, during which time the Tenant can make an appeal to our Service and if rejected can lodge an appeal with the Sherriff Officer. If and when both appeals are rejected, we can then issue a Termination Notice, giving the Tenant, 1 month’s Notice to vacate the allotment.
(d) Allotment Regulations: We have a duty to prepare allotment site Regulations and these proposed regulations will be published to allow all stakeholders to make representations on the detail. Much of the detail will be similar to the requirements detailed in our “Managing Your Allotment” document. These Regulations require to be implemented before 1 April 2020 but we anticipate they will be available for publication/consultation in the next few months but will keep you advised.”
We are delighted to welcome Jenny the latest recruit to our Volunteer Squad.
You are likely to see Jenny working on the Community Garden over the coming Summer – please come over and say hello if you do.