An Open Invitation to Fill the Mencap Funding Gap Options

[Simon Kirby]

WBC has now announced that it is to phase in cuts to Mencap's grant aid over two years, cutting this year's grant by £11,500.

West Berks Mencap's Chairman of Trustees, Julian Swift-Hook said

The charity will now have to make redundancies and cut places at its after school clubs and holiday schemes by up to 75 per cent.

As well as Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Julian Swift-Hook is also Leader of the Town Council. Now the Town Council's allotment service costs the tax-payer around £100k each year and by a happy coincidence allotment services can actually be run at zero cost to the tax-payer if the allotmenteers are allowed to self-manage.

So Dear Julian,

let me tell you about self-managament. I can tell you how it's good for people to manage their own allotments, and I can take you to self-managed sites so you can see first-hand how well allotmenteers manage their own sites. Crucially I can show you how to save £100k from the Town Council's budget, and so maybe the Town Council could use some of that saving to support West Berks Mencap.

Simon.

[user23]

Thought we hadn't had an allotments themed thread from you for a while.

[Guest_xjay1337_*]

Thought we hadn't had an allotments themed thread from you for a while.

Seriously made me giggle.

If making allotments self managed makes you happy then go for it. just don't complain the council won't help you because you made it so.

[Andy Capp]

I'm not sure what is funny about identifying a potential £100,000.00 saving?

[user23]

I'm not sure what is funny about identifying a potential £100,000.00 saving?

Surely more could be saved by selling them off for housing?

[JeffG]

The problem is, although he appears to know what he is talking about, they refuse to listen to him.

I choose to ignore user23's comment.

[Simon Kirby]

Surely more could be saved by selling them off for housing?

It can't be done. The Wash Common site is held in trust for allotments and so can't be sold for anything else, and all six of the parish sites have protection from disposal from Section 6. of the Allotments Act 1925.

Isn't £100k a year enough of a saving?

[user23]

It can't be done. The Wash Common site is held in trust for allotments and so can't be sold for anything else, and all six of the parish sites have protection from disposal from Section 6. of the Allotments Act 1925.

Isn't £100k a year enough of a saving?

Laws can be changed and the Localism Bill gives more scope for doing this sort of thing.

If savings are the main criteria here lets sell them off, that's a far better way to gain income from the land.

Any group who wanted to self manage could then purchase it.

[Andy Capp]

Laws can be changed and the Localism Bill gives more scope for doing this sort of thing.

If savings are the main criteria here lets sell them off, that's a far better way to gain income from the land.

Any group who wanted to self manage could then purchase it.

The councill cannot sell the land for housing. There is no proposal in parliamnt to allow this so it is currently a non starter, however; it IS within the council's gift to grant self management, so it is something the council could start to do tomorrow.

[user23]

The councill cannot sell the land for housing. There is no proposal in parliamnt to allow this so it is currently a non starter, however; it IS within the council's gift to grant self management, so it is something the council could start to do tomorrow.

They could sell it off to a self management company or organisation.

This seems to be the best option if finance is the main criteria here.

[Andy Capp]

They could sell it off to a self management company or organisation. This seems to be the best option if finance is the main criteria here.

They might. Do they exist? Mind you, if they can sell it off to a private concern, wouldn't that require tendering process, which would cost? And if they fail to manage properly, would cost money to retrieve....if finance and quality is your main criteria?

[user23]

They might. Do they exist? Mind you, if they can sell it off to a private concern, wouldn't that require tendering process, which would cost? And if they fail to manage properly, would cost money to retrieve....if finance and quality is your main criteria?

Finance seems to be Simon's main criteria so why not just sell the land to the highest bidder.

[Simon Kirby]

They could sell it off to a self management company or organisation.

This seems to be the best option if finance is the main criteria here.

Yes, the powers already exist for the Council to sell the sites, as long as they are sold in trust for use as allotments. But we're wandering down an alley here, the ownership of the sites is not particularly important, it's the self-management that saves the money.

[Andy Capp]

Finance seems to be Simon's main criteria so why not just sell the land to the highest bidder.

Because (for the millionth time) the council legally just can't go and do that, so have you any other ideas other than just embarking on a self-management initiative that could save the council £100,000.00 a year?

Why are you so against Simon and his proposal?

[user23]

Because (for the millionth time) the council legally just can't go and do that, so have you any other ideas other than just embarking on a self-management initiative that could save the council £100,000.00 a year?

Why are you so against Simon and his proposal?

For "the millionth time" laws can be changed, don't be so negative.

I'm not against Simon's proposal, mine saves more money though and if that's the main criteria here then it's obviously better than Simon's. If the Council are to look at saving money on allotments then this would be the prudent solution if it's judged by finance alone.

[Simon Kirby]

I'm not against Simon's proposal, mine saves more money though and if that's the main criteria here then it's obviously better than Simon's. If the Council are to look at saving money on allotments then this would be the prudent solution if it's judged by finance alone.

I'm proposing an orderly devolution of responsibility to an association of volunteer allotmenteers. It's a tried and tested model, described by the Allotment Regeneration Initiative, supported by the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners, and recommended by the Local Government Association. With support from the Council there's no reason why all responsibility for the service shouldn't eventually be devolved onto the association, but for it to work reliably the association would need to agree and would need to have built the necessary capacity and enthusiasm.

You have something else in mind, and I've never heard of it being done like that.

[Andy Capp]

For "the millionth time" laws can be changed, don't be so negative.

So you will report on your petitioning on a change of law soon? Laws take time to change, we can start saving money 'tomorrow' with Simon's proposal.

I'm not against Simon's proposal, mine saves more money though and if that's the main criteria here then it's obviously better than Simon's. If the Council are to look at saving money on allotments then this would be the prudent solution if it's judged by finance alone.

Of course, but for the millionth and one time, the power to devolve exists NOW. We can have your suggestion but it would take an unspecified amount of time and money to implement without there being a practical example of it in existence to evaluate.

Do you think the councillors will wish to 'sell' the land and relinquish control of the allotments? When will you find out?

[Turin Machine]

Simon does appear to be talking sense, if the sums work out I really don't see why the council should drag its heels, We don't in these strictured time have the luxury of procrastination for the sake of ego protection. Go for it Simon, make em listen.

[NWNREADER]

Anyway... Where were we?????

Oh yes, funding Mencap.......

[Andy Capp]

Anyway... Where were we?????

Oh yes, funding Mencap.......

Yes and Simon proposed a way to do it, plus change.