Agenda item

            (Miss. C. Wilson, Neighbourhood and Development Manager, attended in connection with this item.)

 

            The Committee considered the following report and associated appendix:

 

“1     Relevant Background Information

 

         Belfast City Council has a long history of designing, delivering, managing and facilitating allotment provision and currently provides 290 plots across seven sites in Belfast:  Annadale, Ballysillan, Belmont, Blythefield, Musgrave, Whiterock and Woodvale allotments.  However, demand for allotments in Belfast council areas outweighs supply with 373 people currently on site waiting lists and evidence from Local Government Reform (LGR) boundary extension indicates that this is likely to increase.

 

         The purpose of this report is to:

 

·        Update members on improvements to the internal co-ordination, management and administration of  allotments

·        Present updated draft policy, process and procedure for:

-     allotment allocation;

-     reviewing and streamlining current allotment waiting list; and

-     the guidelines and requirements for use of allotments in Council property - code of conduct.

 

         The draft policy, process and procedure have been developed in consultation with key officers from within the Parks and Leisure department and advice and assistance has been sought from other key sections across the council, including Health & Safety Unit and Legal services.

 

2       Key Issues

 

         An operational management working group was set up to review, recommend and implement improvements to the internal co-ordination, management and administration of current allotment processes, policies and procedures used. These will be subject to review and evaluation over time and as relevant criteria arise on a case by case basis.

 

         Allotment allocation process

 

         An effective and efficient process map has been developed that is focused on customer requirements and delivered via a single point of contact i.e. the Open Spaces and Active Living (OSAL) Unit, who will be responsible for the co-ordination and administration of this process, which was agreed by the Parks and Leisure Committee on the 13 September 2012. 

 

         The allotment allocation process has been broken down into three distinct processes: allotment request; recurring payments and review and inspection.

 

         Operational on-site responsibility for allotments will still reside with the Community Parks Managers, including regular site inspection schedules.  Initial and recurring payment for allotments will remain with business support.  The allotment allocation process will rely on close liaison and communication between OSAL, Community Parks Managers and business support staff. 

 

         As part of the allotment allocation process map new criteria for acceptingapplications for allotment plots has been introduced with applications accepted from Belfast residents only. 

 

         A standard application form has been developed with on-line capabilities.

 

         Allotment waiting list procedure

 

         In light of long waiting lists for allotments, with minimal turnover and the likely increase in demand for allotments from residents of incoming areas as part of Local Government Reform (LGR), to best meet the needs of the council an updated streamlined draft allotment waiting list procedure has been developed.

 

         Current allotment waiting lists have been reviewed and cleansed.  Initial results reveal that as part of stage 1 of the allotment waiting list procedure, the council is proposing to write out to potentially 35 people to inform them that they have been removed from our waiting list due to limited availability and increased demand. 

 

Table 1: Allotment waiting lists

 

Site	Belfast	*LGR	Outside New Belfast	Total
Annadale	164	10	21	195
Ballysillan	9	0	1	10
Belmont	120	2	11	133
Blythfield	3	0	0	3
Musgrave	29	1	2	32
Total	325	13	35	373

*LGR extended boundary residents will be included in the final Belfast list.

         Guidelines and requirements for use of allotments – code of conduct

 

         The council has no statutory duty to provide allotments. However, the Allotments Act (NI) 1932 does enable councils to provide, at its discretion, allotments for use by residents in their areas. Where the council does provide allotments it is required, under the legislation, to make regulations regarding their management and control.

 

         The current guidelines and requirements for use governing the operational management and control of allotments have been updated based on good practice research, legal and health & safety advice (see updated regulations in Appendix 3).  Clause 3.7.1 and 3.7.2 of the new guidelines and requirements for use state that:

 

·        Pets (except for Guide Dogs) and livestock (Livestock refers to any breed or population of animal kept by humans for a useful, commercial purpose for example cattle, pigs, horse, poultry etc.) must not be brought/ kept on site; and

·        Beehives are not permitted on site.

 

         This is something that will be reflected in the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2011 in respect of dog control issues for the council.  All current and new allotment plotholders will be asked to sign, date and return the guidelines and requirements for use of allotments and returns kept on file.

 

3       Resource Implications

 

         Financial

         No financial implications have been identified.

 

         Human Resources

         Delivery of the improvement activities associated with allotments will require dedicated officer time which will be reflected within annual service plans, area plans and separate unit level plans.

 

         Asset and Other Implications

         None.

 

4       Equality and Good Relations Considerations

         The updated process, policies and procedure will be subject to the council’s equality screening process.

 

5       Recommendations

         Members are asked to:

 

·        Note improvements to the internal co-ordination, management and administration of  allotments;

·        Agree the updated draft process and procedure for:

-        allotment allocation;

-        reviewing and streamlining current allotment waiting list; and

·        Review and agree policy guidelines and requirements for allotment use.

 

Appendix

 

Allotment waiting list allocation procedure

 

1.          All non-Belfast residents on existing allotment waiting lists will be contacted in writing by the department to advise that the council cannot consider applications for allotments from non-Belfast residents and therefore they are being removed from the waiting list.  

 

2.          All remaining Belfast residents^[i] on the waiting lists will be contacted in writing asking them to confirm either, that:

 

a.          they wish to remain only on the waiting list for a plot at their preferred site;

b.          they are willing to prioritise from 1 - most preferred to 3 - least preferred site location from those sites that are currently in existence;

c.          they are no longer interested in a plot; or

d.          the named applicant no longer resides at the address.

 

3.          Following receipt of replies by the date specified (6 weeks) all responses are amalgamated and a single prioritised master allotment waiting list is compiled and managed centrally within the Open Space and Active Living (OSAL) Unit of the Parks and Leisure Department.  If a response isn’t received within the specified time the resident will be automatically removed from the waiting list.

 

4.          Those residents who have been on waiting lists for a preferred site will retain their position for that site until a plot becomes available. If they are offered and accept a plot at their alternate preferred site location they will automatically lose their position at their preferred site location.  

 

5.          Allotment sites that have received external funding^[ii] and are subject to meeting specific funding criterion, will be excluded from the prioritised list of allotments outlined in number 2 above.   

 

6.          No new applications will be accepted from the date of committee approval until after the closing date for receipt of replies from those currently on the waiting list.

 

7.          If the council develops a new allotment site, which is not confined to meeting external funding criterion, in the first instance those people on the waiting list the longest will be contacted to ascertain their interest in taking a plot at this site before new names are added to the master list for this site.  If they accept a plot at the new site, they will automatically lose their position at their preferred site location.”

^[i]     Belfast residents include LGR extended boundary residents currently on the waiting list

^[ii]     Whiterock and Woodvale externally funded allotments

 

            In response to a number of Members’ questions, the Neighbourhood and Development Manager provided clarification on a range of issues. In addition, she undertook to re-examine the Council’s eligibility process which enabled individuals to be placed on the waiting list and indicated that she would consider the Council’s Pricing Policy insofar as it related to allotments.

 

            The Committee adopted the recommendations.