Allotments : Proposed Improvements Programme

Letter from John Roebuck, Parks & Recreation Manager to Dave Fox, Joint Secretary of Cambridge Central Council of Allotment Societies

17 May 1999

Dear Dave

ALLOTMENTS - PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAMME

Firstly, many congratulations on your appointment as Joint Secretary of the Central Council. I hope you have a successful and enjoyable time in office!

As you will be aware, following the Allotment Review of 1997/8, the City Council agreed.to release two areas of allotment land for the development of social housing.

The first of these, Nuffield Road in Chesterton, has already received approval from the Department of Environment, Trade and the Regions, and a successfrl planning application to consolidate the allotments has been approved.

The consolidated allotment site will include a new building, fencing, roads etc and I am expecting that work on the site will begin in September. I am liaising directly with the Nuffield Road Allotment Society over detailed arrangements.

The second area of proposed housing development is at Newmarket Road, an area of land originally purchased for the extension of the cemetery was used for allotments for many years although it is now completely unused. An application to the DETR is currently being made, the outcome of which will dictate the lands future.

As a result of the sale of these areas of land the City Council negotiated substantial investment in the City's Allotment Service. £196,000 will be spent in developing the consolidated site of Nuffield Road and a further £215,000 has been allocated for improvements to the other allotment sites in the city.

This money will become available when the sites at Nuffield Road and Newmarket Road are actually sold and, in the case of Nuffield Road this is likely to be in January 2000 when the sum of £105,000 will become available to the Allotment Service. Clearly the sale of the Newmarket Road site will be dependent on the decision of the DETR.

In 1989, in consultation with the Central Council, a list of improvements to allotment sites was prepared. This was reviewed in 1994 and I still believe forms the basis of the movement's requirements in the City. You will see on the attached schedule the recommendation I am suggesting for what I think is an equitable split of the money.

Because of the provision of male and female toilets on allotment sites is considered a high priority by most societies and is also important in broadening the appeal of allotments to families, women and other groups, I am recommending that a basic toilet block should be provided for each society at an estimated £11,000

The detail of each toilet will vary in accordance with local circumstances but the innimum specification will be for a separate male and female toilet with the female toilet adapted for use of people with disabilities.

I am suggesting that the remainder of the money be distributed in proportion to the area of the society, but the actual details of improvements will need to be agreed in consultation with your council and the local societies.

Because of the substantial investment spent and committed to the Chesterton Allotment Society and the Nuffield Road allotment site I do not propose any further expenditure on these sites.

I would like to meet with you and whatever other representatives you think appropriate to discuss my suggestions for distributing the money and how you wish me to liaise with societies.

Once you have had the chance to consider this letter I shall be grateful if you would contact our team secretary to arrange a convenient time to meet. I am happy to meet in an evening if this is more convenient.

Yours sincerely

John Roebuck

Parks and Recreation Manager

Next page : Allotment improvement negotiations

Joint Secretaries of Cambridge Central Council of Allotment Societies :
secretary@allotments.net       Dave Fox
webmaster@allotments.net     Paul Jones

Latest update 03/01/01