An interesting letter from John Langman in the Morpeth Herald about the problems the Borough Council has in administering allotments. Thinking about it – the situation will be even worse if the allotments are passed up to the new unitary authority! Of course, traditionally, allotments are owned and managed by parish councils – but, as with much in Morpeth, the delay in creating the Town Council after 1974 local government re-organisation meant that the allotments went to the Borough. We must try not to make the same mistake this time!
Of course, the Town Council wouldn’t want to take on a heavy burden of administration. On the other hand, Tommy’s Field Allotments are run very effectively by an association of the allotment-holders who pay an annual rent to the Borough. It seems to me that a similar arrangement, with allotment-holders managing all Morpeth’s allotments would enable to Town Council to take them on without too much trouble.
We’d need to sort out permanent status for Tommy’s Field Allotments first – but that shouldn’t be a problem, seeing that they been cultivated continuously since 1941! And of course the transitional authority would have to agree to the transfer – but why would they want to hang onto allotments?
Of course, the Town Council wouldn’t want to take on a heavy burden of administration. On the other hand, Tommy’s Field Allotments are run very effectively by an association of the allotment-holders who pay an annual rent to the Borough. It seems to me that a similar arrangement, with allotment-holders managing all Morpeth’s allotments would enable to Town Council to take them on without too much trouble.
We’d need to sort out permanent status for Tommy’s Field Allotments first – but that shouldn’t be a problem, seeing that they been cultivated continuously since 1941! And of course the transitional authority would have to agree to the transfer – but why would they want to hang onto allotments?
