Empingham Parish Council

Empingham Allotments (report on 8th Sept meeting).

By summer 2010 the Empingham Allotments Association had completed about 2 years research into obtaining land for allotments gardens. Their efforts had not been rewarded with any viable choices and on 9^th June a Parish meeting was held to consult with the community at large. No clear solution was identified and enquiries were to continue.

On the 8^th September 2010, representatives of the Empingham parish council, the Allotment Association, and Shirley Fleetwood (East Midlands representative for the NSALG) met to discuss progress since the meeting held in June and to agree a plan for the future.

After a wide-ranging discussion of the issues, Ms Fleetwood recommended that the Allotment Association re-contact local landowners to ask if they would consider selling, rather than leasing, land for allotments. She felt that it might be counter-productive for the council to be included in such discussions.

She also thought that some farmers might consider providing and servicing allotments privately, as a commercial activity, and she could provide examples of farmers who have profitably done so.

It was agreed that there was no added value in council members sitting on the allotment working group but that a line of communication should be kept open. Accordingly, Eileen Ray and Mike Nason withdrew from the working group and Mrs Ray was nominated as the association's council contact.

Subject to the decisions of full council and the relevant law, the meeting was advised that the parish council remains supportive of the association's aims and will help where possible. However, it was explained that the compulsory acquisition of land by the council was not a practical option, because of the costs inherent in the process. The NSALG could not cite any case, nor has the council's own research found any example, where land has been acquired in such a way. Ms Fleetwood advised it was not the NSALG’s policy to recommend such action.

To reiterate the information given at the 9th June meeting, the council have been advised by the County solicitor that RCC legal costs in processing a petition to compulsorily lease land would be approximately £5,000, and those of any subsequent local enquiry approximately £5,000. Costs of case preparation and any compensation would be additional. All costs would be paid by the parish council, whether or not an acquisition order was granted.

Below are links to the report of the 9^th June meeting, a schedule of the process of compulsorily acquiring land, and other relevant documents.

The council will welcome contact from anyone with land to lease or who has knowledge of land that might be available.

This report does not purport to be a verbatim record or to necessarily represent the views of the allotment association or the NSALG.