alotments

[clive ibotson]

Parking Kings Cliffe

[clive ibotson]

parking Woodnewion

[clive ibotson]

water supply Kings Cltffe

[clive ibotson]

water supply Woodnewton

[clive ibotson]

Rent Woodnewion £12 p/a Rent Kings Cliffe £16 p/a Populationof Woodnewton at least half of KC can't we do better

[Russell Brown]

Without removing some of the allotments there's not a lot that can be done about parking spaces as the PC don't own any land next to the current site.

On the water 'issue'. A few years back the PC did quite a bit of work investigating water supplies (mains, pumped groundwater etc). The Allotment holders were asked if they wanted a water supply (which would have had some modest cost) and the overwhelming majority said no.

The project was therefore abandoned.

[clive ibotson]

Seems to be a standard reply from the Parish Council,why can't they be more proactive?

[Russell Brown]

Hmmm.... one could think you're stirring it Mr Ibotson

The water provision was an example of the PC being proactive but rejected by the Allotment holders.

I agree that most of the PC's activities are reactive but that's the nature of a Parish Council.

We have in recent years been proactive with things like Gigaclear, School funding, the Village Hall Parking and the Pytchell to name but a few that spring to mind but we can't think of everything.

So if folk have ideas or suggestions then please do put them to the PC.

[clive ibotson]

It must be about 25 years since the parish council took over the allotments from the county council,they have been collecting rents for all this time but they wanted the rent payers to foot the cost of a water supply.How much rent has the PC collected in 25 years and how have they spent,I think there must be a few quid left over for a water supply

[Russell Brown]

Ah.... Sorry, I didn't express that very well. The PC wasn't looking for the Allotment holders to foot the cost of installing a supply but contribute to the ongoing usage costs (Anglian Water won't install non-metered supplies anymore).

As there is no practical mechanism to apportion usage costs to individuals, these costs would have been averaged out and charged to each allotment (we explored token or key based systems for a pay-as-you-go arrangement but they're a) expensive to install and b) need mains electricity to run which brings in another installation cost and ongoing charge).

The borehole idea (which would come without usage costs if a mechanical or solar powered pump could be used) would have soaked up around 50 years total rental income and came with no guarentee that it would work so that wasn't feasible (the local geology suggested that it would need to be up (down?) to 40m deep; weird considering the number of natural springs in the village and the relative proximity to the river but that's what the geologists said).

We also looked at extraction from the Willow Brook (assuming that we could get landowners permission to lay pipes across their land and come up with a realistic pumping mechanism) but that has ongoing costs with licenses and usage charges.

We sought advice from Anglian Water, the National Allotment Society, the Allotment Regeneration Initiative and multiple Allotment holder forums to see if there were any better ideas but nobody came up with anything else apart from rainwater harvesting which a number of Allotment holders already do anyway.

So... what did we miss?

I can't speak for the PC but as a councillor, I'm happy to revisit the provision of a mains water supply *if* the majority of Allotment holders want us to but when it was put to them in 2012 they didn't; so the idea was dropped.

[clive ibotson]

No charge for Woodnewton allotment holders for water, that's the point I'm making,if they can do it why can't we.Maybe the allotments are not high profile for the PC!

[HilaryB]

Thanks Russell; we did put a great deal of time and effort into ascertaining whether water was possible or not - why are some people always griping, they should attend a few meetings and find out just how much the PC do for the village, but receive nothing but brickbats!  A little appreciation is always appreciated

[clive ibotson]

Who's throwing brickbats Hilary?If we can't have an open and honest debate about village matters it's a poor do.I respect the fact that the PC members give their time and energy for little reward but you must admit that interest in all forms of politics has declined in recent years. When I was on the PC years ago there was always an election,now they have to coopt members.I would hope that the PC would welcome ideas from the village so that they can be more reactive

[HilaryB]

Sorry Clive, but we did go to a lot of trouble, researching the possibilities of water, as Russell said, including asking all allotment holders if they would be prepared to pay for the water in one form or another.  At that time, the PC were extremely short of funds and we had no resources to fund it; the price of the connection was very high.  However, plot holders said no thank you at the time and so it was dropped.  I'm afraid I do get very tetchy, as Clerk someone was always moaning about what rubbish the PC were, which wasn't true!  AS for elections, I don't think enough people put their names forward; 11 places and 11 candidates as I recall.......................

 

[Russell Brown]

For the benefit of others reading this.....

Clive took the opportunity to address the PC meeting (any parishioner can do this; just notify the Clerk 48 hours in advance) on the subject of a water supply and parking for the Allotments.

The PC decided to re-survey the Allotment holders on the matter of a water supply and investigate what could be done to provide parking bays.