By tradition the membership year ends on Michaelmas Day (29th September, when the Christian festival of St Michael and All Angels is observed); thus effectively the new membership year runs from the beginning of October. Members joining at other times pay a minimum of six month's rental and pro rata beyond that. For the current year the fees are as follows:

New members also pay a one-off fee of £5.00 to our Association as well as a deposit of £5.00 for the key. Thus a new member starting in October will pay a total of £36.00 to cultivate a standard plot for the following 12 months; in subsequent years their rent will be £10 less.

Plots are always in demand and there is usually a queue of people waiting to join (as of January 2005, there are 6 in the queue). The best way to get your name on the waiting list is to contact the Association Chair, Jak Sheridan, by email (jak.sheridan virgin.net with the usual 'at' symbol in the space after her name).

Although plots become vacant intermittently during the course of the year, most plots are vacated at the start of the new rental period in October, and so this is when the queue significantly shortens. For instance, 23 new members joined last October. As these Web pages are developed, it is hoped to make it possible for new applicants to join the queue by signing up on on this page.

*The 'standard plot' is 200 square yards, give or take a few yards.

The little green book entitled Rules of St Mary's Allotment Association that members receive when they join has been revised this year; in particular, the constitutional items are separated from the workaday rules:

CONSTITUTION

The name of the Association shall be known as St Mary's Allotment Association, hereafter referred to as the Association.

Objectives

A. To rent suitable land from the landlords, Trustees or other parties desirous of letting their land then to re-let the same land to members of the Association and achieve full compliance with all terms and conditions of the site Tenancy Agreement.
B. The effective management of the site sub-let in allotment plots to members of the Association for Allotment gardening.
C. By means of B, to offer Members the opportunity to provide for themselves vegetables, fruit and flowers and to enjoy attendant leisure, social and health benefits.
D. The establishment and maintenance of co-operative and harmonious relationships amongst members and with the local community neighbouring the site.
E. The continuation of the existence of the Association and its operation for the benefit of its members.
F. The preservation and improvement of the fertility of the soil of each allotment plot and management of the site in an environmentally friendly way.
G. The Association shall be non-party in politics and non-sectarian in religion and will operate an equal opportunities policy.

The management of the Association shall be elected annually at an Annual General Meeting and shall consist of:

• A President, who shall preside at the Annual General Meeting and such further General Meetings as may be held.
• A Vice President, who shall preside at General Meetings in the absence of the President, or in the event that the President is required to stand down.
• A Management Committee, which shall consist of
• Three Officers (Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Treasurer) and
• Nine further members

Two further Officers, the Secretary of the Association and a Letting Officer, will be appointed by the incoming Committee, normally from among the members of the Committee.

A minimum of three members of the Committee will retire annually, in rotation, but will be eligible for re-election.

Prior to being nominated as a member of the Committee of the Association, a nominee must have been a Member of the Association for a period of at least 12 months.

To qualify for nomination as an Officer of the Committee, a member must have stood on the Committee for a period of at least 12 months.

The Committee will have full power to transact any business and deal with any matters connected with the Association. The Association will maintain a Trustees' Account, and the Management Committee will ensure that this Account at all times has a balance equivalent to at least one year's Annual Rent and Charges for the Allotments.

An examiner will be appointed annually at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) to audit the books and accounts and, if correct, will sign to authenticate the Accounts of the Association as prepared by the Committee of Management.

The Annual General Meeting of the Association will be held, if possible, not later than the first weekend of December.

The Annual General Meeting will:

1. Elect the officers and Committee.
2. Receive the Annual Report.
3. Be presented with, and vote upon, the acceptance, or otherwise, of the Balance Sheet, with the books and accounts having been made up one week prior to Michaelmas. (i.e. at the end of September)
4. Discuss any matter or proposal which has been previously notified to the Secretary of the Association, in writing, 14 days prior to the date of the Annual General Meeting.
5. Any other business can be raised at the discretion of the Chairperson and with approval of the majority of those present.

If the Committee of Management wish to pass or alter any Rule of the Association then they will submit their recommendations to the Annual General Meeting or call an Extraordinary General Meeting for that purpose.

Notice for such an Extraordinary General Meeting will be posted on notice boards at least 28 days prior to the proposed date of that Meeting.

Such an Extraordinary General Meeting must be authorised by the Committee or by at least 10% of the Members of the Association who will present their motion, in writing to the Secretary of the Association at least 35 days preceding the date of the proposed Extraordinary General Meeting, together with any proposals which are to be put to the meeting.

Membership and Rents

i. Qualifications for Membership of the Association will be as follows:

• Payment of a Membership fee of £5
• To be a plot holder
• Not to be in arrears of rent

ii. All plots shall be allocated by the Letting Officer on an annual tenancy.

iii. New Members will be provided with a key to the gates of the allotments upon the provision of a deposit of £5.00 which will be returnable, on request, when vacating their plot and on return of the key.

iv. The rent, including charges and membership of The National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners (NSALG) shall be determined by the Management of the Association and shall be paid annually, in advance, being due each Michaelmas (i.e. at the end of September). The Committee will make themselves available to collect the monies due from Members on the last weekend of September and the first weekend of October each year. Sunday of the first weekend of October shall be the last date of collection. Arrangements will also be made for members who are unable to attend in person to make their payments.

v. Should any member allow their rent to be in arrears after the last collection date, then a late payment fee of £5 will be imposed by the Committee. If rent is not received following a letter of request for payment, that member may receive one month's notice in writing to quit.

vi. The Committee may, by resolution passed at a meeting thereof, terminate or suspend the membership of any person who, in its opinion, has been guilty of conduct prejudicial to the Association or its objects, non-payment of rent or breach or non-observance of the Rules of the Association provided that the person shall have the right to be heard by the Committee before the final decision is made. There shall be a right of appeal to an independent arbitrator appointed by mutual agreement.

RULES

1. The Committee, or any person authorised by the Committee, on behalf of the members, will have the power to enter upon the allotments, at any time, for the purpose of carrying out repairs, inspecting the cultivation of the plots and consideration of remedial work or re-planning of the allotments, or for any other purpose that the Committee deems necessary.

2. Disputes arising between Members regarding walkways, boundaries or any other matter connected with the Association will be referred to the Committee.

Any member who wishes to lay a formal complaint against another member of the Association concerning any matter arising within the confines of the allotments must notify such a complaint, in writing, to the Secretary of the Association.

3. No Member will sub-let their plot or any part thereof, or any erection thereon without the sanction of the Letting Officer. Such a proposal must be made in writing.

Any members wishing to transfer from one plot to another must have the approval of the Letting Officer.

The relative(s) of a deceased Member may, with the sanction of the Letting Officer, retain the plot of that Member provided the retention is in accordance with the conditions of the constitution.

4. No Member will, under any circumstances, trespass upon the plot of any other Member.
This includes any children who must be supervised at all times and are the full responsibility of the accompanying member.
Dogs must be under control at all times and should be leashed if necessary.

5. Members of the association are responsible for the behaviour of their visitors, guests or members of their family at all times when on the site.

6. Any person found stealing from another Member's plot may be reported to the appropriate authorities. The said Member will be subject to instant dismissal from the Association. In the event that the person concerned is not a Member of the Association, and has been found trespassing on the Allotments, or has committed theft or criminal damage then a report will be made to the appropriate authorities with a view to prosecution.

7. Each Member will properly cultivate their land and maintain adjacent paths and keep it in a condition to the satisfaction of the Committee. Members failing to do so will be given one month's notice, in writing, to improve their plot or requested to provide an explanation as to their failure to cultivate. Failure to respond to such notice and comply with the requirements may result in the Committee giving the Member one week's notice to quit.

8. Maintenance of dividing paths is the responsibility of the adjacent plot holder. Paths and roadways adjacent to plots must be kept clear, tidy and cut. Dividing pathways must be at least 18 inches wide (9 inches from each plot) with a drop of no more than 4 inches down to the plot.
No carpets, stones, weeds or other refuse should be placed on communal paths.

9. Weedkillers must not be used on dividing paths or roadways. Weed killers and pesticides, if used, must not be mixed at communal water points but only on members' own plots.
Consideration must be given when spraying and chemicals or spray should not be allowed to drift from the user's plot.

10. No construction of any sort shall be erected without the plans for such having been previously presented to the Committee for sanction. The Committee reserves the right to order such an erection to be dismantled if it does not comply with the previously submitted plans. All constructions must be a minimum of 2 feet from any path or roadway.

11. Trees, bushes and hedges (including soft fruit and fruit trees) bordering plots must be properly cut and trimmed and not obstruct pathways.

The planting of non-fruit trees is not permitted unless prior authority has been obtained from the Committee in writing.

No tree should be cut down without prior approval from the Committee. Should a tree be felled without consent then the plot holder may be required to replace it.

12. All gates to the Allotments must be closed and locked at dusk irrespective of the fact that other Members are still on site.

13. . Water should be used in moderation and not wasted.

Hosepipes may only be used when hand held and should not be permanently affixed to taps.

The use of sprinklers connected to hosepipes is banned.

The Committee reserve the right to introduce hosepipe bans or other restrictions should they consider it necessary.

Any interference with the water supply may lead to immediate expulsion from Membership of the Association.

Guttering should be fixed to all sheds and greenhouses with suitable containers for collecting rainwater.

14. Garden rubbish generated upon a Member's plot, other than that retained as compost, must be removed from site.

Tipping rubbish elsewhere on the allotments is prohibited.

When a rubbish skip is rented for use by the Members only non-combustible garden material should be placed in it. Domestic rubbish should not be brought to the allotments for disposal.

Members leaving rubbish when vacating a plot may be charged for its disposal.

The removal of soil from any part of the allotments is prohibited.

15. Fires:

• Bonfires are not permitted on Sundays.
• Bonfires must only be lit when the wind is blowing away from surrounding roads and houses.
• Bonfires should not inconvenience other Members of the Association or members of the public.
• Only combustible garden waste from the allotments is to be burnt.
• All plant material should be well dried to avoid unnecessary smoke pollution.
• Plastic pots, bags and synthetic materials must not be burnt. This is an offence in law.
• Fires should not be allowed to burn unattended and must be extinguished before

16. No private loads of manure are to be deposited on the car park without the permission of the Committee.
No manure is to be left upon the pathways or cart roads for more than 24 hours.

17. Reasonable consideration should be given to all Members of the Association at all times.

Members shall make every effort to comply with any Guidance or Code of Conduct issued by the Management Committee regarding the care and maintenance of the Allotments, use of water, good gardening practice and any other matter regarding the Allotments.

Members must ensure that they do not demonstrate rowdy or unacceptable behaviour, disturb the peace or offend other Members of the Association particularly if using radios, mobile phones or playing music.

18. The keeping of livestock upon the Allotments is prohibited as is Beekeeping, the erection of Aviaries or the keeping of Domestic Pets.

19. All Members must abide with the foregoing rules at all times. Failure to comply with these rules may lead to the member concerned having their membership suspended or withdrawn under the provision of membership article vi.