HONITON TOWN COUNCIL
Meeting of the Policy Committee 30th July 2012
Update on the provision of allotments in Honiton
The purpose of this briefing paper is to update the Town Council on the search for allotment sites.
Background
Under allotments legislation, the Town Council has a duty to consider whether there is a need for allotments and, where it is the case that there is a demand for allotments, to provide a sufficient number of them. The current waiting list was started in 2003 and the search for land which is both suitable and available has continued since that time.
In 2006 East Devon District Council acquired land at Honiton Bottom Road with provision for allotments. Planning permission to develop the site with 46 half sized plots was granted to the Town Council, however, the land was subsequently registered as a village green with the result that the planned allotments could not proceed.
In order to provide as comprehensive a report as possible, Cllr Coombs, Cllr Pavey, Cllr Groves and the Deputy Town Clerk have recently conducted a review of all potential sites in the town.
On the recommendation of the Environmental Issues Working Group, which has oversight of allotments, the list of potential sites is attached as Appendix 1 and will be discussed under Part B in order to maintain confidentiality due to a number of sites being in private or unidentified and therefore possible private ownership.
Current Waiting List
The waiting list has grown consistently since 2003 with all enquiries being added to the list. At the start of 2012 the waiting list stood at 143. A review was carried out by writing to all on the waiting list, notices on all notice boards, notices in the local press and on the Town Council website in order to ascertain the number of interested persons.
The Town Council received confirmation from 61 people wishing to stay on the waiting list, 8 wishing to be deleted from the list and no response from the remaining entries. A list of those who did not respond will be kept separately in order to include them at a future date should they contact the Town Council with a valid reason as to why they did not respond during the review.
Honiton Allotment Association (HAA)
The Allotment Association Committee meets on a regular basis and holds an AGM as required by its constitution. In order to raise funds and obtain a level of commitment, HAA introduced a nominal membership fee and started a list of members.
HAA reached an agreement with a local private landowner for the provision of allotments at Cuckoo Down Lane, however, planning permission for the site was refused by EDDC on traffic grounds and due to the site being in the AONB.
Should HAA obtain a site through a private arrangement with a landowner, the Association may let plots in accordance with its own list of members. However, any allotments provided by the Town Council will be let in accordance with Town Council policy which requires plots to be let in Town Council waiting list order. A private arrangement between HAA and a landowner would reduce the Town Council’s waiting list but would not remove the Town Council’s obligations as it is unlikely that the demand for allotments would be satisfied by one site alone.
Summary of potential sites review
In order to provide as full a review of potential sites as possible, it was agreed to consider all open spaces of any size and location and where it would not be possible to proceed, to provide reasons as to why sites were discounted or could not be followed up.
Private sites
18 possible sites considered of which:
5 are unavailable or unsuitable
3 are included in the Local Plan consultation and unable to proceed at present
6 are in ownership which has yet to be confirmed or in unidentified ownership and will require further background research and/or Land Registry searches
1 site was for sale on the open market at a reserve price of £20k for 0.39 acres. This land has been sold and is included for illustrative purposes
3 sites are being followed up/awaiting a response to the Town Council’s enquiry
EDDC owned sites
3 sites considered, (land at Higher Glen, land between Higher Brand Lane & Battishorne Way, land between Willow Walk & Littletown Road) all of which are public open space which is unsuitable due to location/aspect/sloping ground
Farms
10 farms have been contacted of which:
5 have confirmed that no land is available
5 have not responded and it may therefore be assumed that no land is available
Clapper Lane private allotment site
This site, in private ownership, is also now included in the East Devon Local Plan consultations
East Devon Local Plan
Consultations as part of the East Devon Local Plan process bear out the shortage of suitable and available land for development. Wherever possible in the Town Council’s representations the ongoing need for allotments has been highlighted.
Sarah Jenkins
Deputy Town Clerk
24th July 2012