An agreement has been reached over the future management of allotments in Alsager.
Until recently, the Alsager Gardens Association managed and maintained all four of the town’s allotment sites at Cedar Avenue, Lawton Road, Talke Road and Coronation Avenue, through volunteer support and a grant provided annually by the council.
The current contract between the association and the town council started on 1st April 2024 and was due to conclude on 31st March 2027.
As previously reported, members of the council said they were “shocked” after the association told the authority it planned to hand back responsibility for the allotments from the beginning of September and cancelled its annual show which had been running for the past 70 years.
At the council’s Civic and Assets Committee last month, chair Coun Jane Hearne said: “The town clerk was made aware that the gardeners’ association officers in situ at the moment, want to leave in September.
“There is a lot going on in the background and they are not happy to continue, and came to us to see if we were in a position to take it on board. It came as a bit of a shock considering everything we’ve been through before.”
In October last year, the council apologised to the gardeners’ association for its decision to investigate whether the allotments would be more cost-effective to run if they were taken in-house.
The resulting report, which cost a total of £518 in officer time to produce, showed that the net cost of running the allotments in partnership with the gardeners’ association was £12,321, while taking the responsibility in-house would cost £36,366 – a difference of £24,045 a year.
At last month’s committee meeting, Coun Hearne said she was aware that allotment holders were “not happy” about the prospect of the town council taking on the service and planned to meet with them to get their feedback.
Ahead of the meeting, a member of the gardeners’ association, who was not on the organisation’s committee, contacted the “Chronicle” with their concerns about the transition from the volunteer group to the town council.
They said: “Our committee has not informed the members of the gardeners’ association about this. We have been totally deceived – this is unethical. As a consequence, they have destroyed the association that has been in existence for over 70 years.”
Speaking to the “Chronicle” after meeting with association members last Monday, Coun Hearne confirmed that the town council would be taking over the administration and governance of the allotments.
She said: “We had a very positive meeting, and we’re glad the gardeners’ association wishes to continue. We need them as much as they need us.”
The council and the association agreed to hold monthly meetings, which will then move to quarterly.
(Photo: Google Earth).
