About us

Self-management

All allotment sites within the London Borough of Bromley Leased from the Council are self managed. This means that all plot holders are equally responsible for the general upkeep of their site, and through their committees abide by the regulations set out in their respective Leases. We achieve this by organizing regular work parties for plot holders to attend.

The Committee

The Committee is in effect an Authorised Agent of the Council of the London Borough of Bromley and works behind the scenes to ensure the smooth running of the Association. Members are elected by plot holders at the Annual General Meeting. The Committee meets regularly throughout the year and is responsible for renting plots, setting rent levels, all outgoings, indemnity insurance and the day-to-day running of our two sites. They also organize work parties for the plot holders to attend to help maintain and improve both sites

The Management Structure of Allotment Sites Leased from the Council of the London Borough of Bromley

The duly elected Committee members are responsible for the day to day running of their respective Associations and the upholding of the terms of the Lease the Association holds with the Council.

A requirement of the Lease is that all Associations are members of the Bromley Allotments and Leisure Gardens Federation (BALGF).

Including its AGM, BALGF hold 6 meetings a year to which every Association is expected to send a representative (usually the Secretary). As well as horticultural issues of general interest, the meetings are a platform for the Associations to raise and discuss issues that they have been unable to resolve at Committee level, and for the dissemination of information affecting the Allotment fraternity as a whole.

Bromley Allotments and Leisure Gardens Federation

CONSTITUTION AND RULES

In March 2015, The London Borough of Bromley, through its Environment PDS Committee (report ES15021) resolved as part of the Authority’s broader commissioning Policy, to place the former Parks and Greenspace service with the then current grounds maintenance incumbent contractor, idverde uk. This took effect from June 2015 and will continue as an external function until legislative competitive tendering and new contract commencement in April 2019.

  1. The name of the body shall be the Bromley Allotments and Leisure Gardens Federation, hereinafter referred to as the Federation
  1. POLICY, RECOGNITION AND MEMBERSHIIP

(a)     The Federation shall comprise individual Allotment and Leisure Garden  Associations like bodies within the London Borough of Bromley (“L.B.Bromley”)

(b)     The term “Association” shall be used to describe the membership and the management committee of individual allotment and leisure garden sites.

(c)     Where an Association is party to a lease with L.B.Bromley it is a requirement of that lease that the Association must be a member of the Federation.

(d)     Each Association shall pay annual an affiliation fee to the Federation Treasurer by a date set out in Section 10 of this Constitution

(e)     The Federation is the recognised representative body with whom discussion, consultation and determination of future policy and implementation of current policy in regard to all matters concerned with allotment/leisure gardening in the Borough of Bromley will take place.

(f)      The Federation actively supports the policy of the L.B.Bromley in promoting and enhancing the use of allotment/leisure gardening facilities throughout the Borough of Bromley

(g)     The Federation is responsible for the organisation of the annual competition and awards reception.

(h)     The Federation will uphold the implementation of all statutory regulations relating to allotment land and leisure gardens in force from time to time.

(i)      The Federation will maintain a close liaison with the National Society of Allotments and Leisure Gardeners and any similar organisation as may be deemed appropriate.

(j)      The Federation will at all times without exception act in the best possible collective interests of all those who hold a Tenancy Agreement with their Association.

  1. OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the Federation shall be:-

(a)    To represent, advance and develop the interests of the tenants of allotments and leisure gardens in the Borough of Bromley.

(b)    To maintain the security of tenure of all lands designated as allotments and leisure gardens and encourage the effective use of such land.

(c)     To seek to ensure that the L.B.Bromley meets its statutory obligations in regard to the provision of allotment land at a viable rent.

(d)       To provide support to all Associations on all matters affecting their sites or interests.

(e)       To play a full part in the work of the Leisure Gardens and Allotments Consultative Panel in representing the interests of all Federation members and in the promotion and development of the use of allotments and leisure gardens.

(f)        To establish effective liaison with those officers of the Council’s commissioned partner; whose responsibilities include any matter relating to allotments/leisure gardens.

(g)       To research and report on matters pertinent to allotments and leisure gardens both locally and nationally.

(h)       To encourage strongly and actively the achievement of overall basic standards as set out in The Allotment Tenancy – Terms and Conditions in regard to the management, husbandry and improvement of sites.

(i)        To discharge, in conjunction with the appointed officer of the Council’s commissioned partner, the responsibilities set out in the Guidance notes and procedure on handling matters relating to conduct, disputes and grievances.

(j)        To encourage, advise and help individual Associations in the promotion and development of their site whilst recognising the autonomy of management committees in regard to their own affairs.

(k)       To encourage the participation of Associations and individuals in all of the various classes in the annual competition as required by Clause 19 of each Association’s lease. To support the designated Federation officer(s) in the organisational aspects of arranging the competition and reception.

  1. REPRESENTATION

(a)       Each member Association of the Federation may be represented at ordinary meetings of the Federation by two delegates.

(b)       It is expected that each Association will be represented at all meetings of the Federation.

(c)        Officers of the Federation shall not be deemed to be delegates of member Associations unless no other member of that Association is able to attend.

(d)       Each member Association may be represented at the Annual Meeting and a Special Meeting of the Federation by four delegates.

(e)       The Federation shall be represented at meetings of the Leisure Gardens and Allotments Consultative Panel by the President, Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary and seven other members elected at the Annual Meeting.

(f)        Consultative Panel representatives shall have the authority to take decisions at Panel meetings on behalf of the Federation after due consultation with member Associations where possible.

(g)       The President, Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Secretary shall be ex-officio members of any sub-committee, panel or working party that the Federation may set up from time to time. Other members of any sub-committee, panel or working party may be elected or appointed at an ordinary meeting.

  1. OFFICERS

(a)       The Officers of the Federation shall consist of a President, Vice-Presidents (no more than four), Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Assistant Secretary and Treasurer.

(b)       The President and Vice-Presidents shall be elected at the Annual Meeting and serve for a period of five years. In the absence of the President, the senior Vice-President will act in his/her stead.

(c)        The Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Assistant Secretary and Treasurer shall be elected at the Annual Meeting and their term of office shall be from the date of that Annual Meeting to the date of the next.

(d)       Panel members who are not ex officio members as officers of the Federation shall be elected annually at the Annual Meeting.

(e)       All Officers and Panel members shall be eligible for re-election.

(f)        Where the position of any officer listed at (c) above falls vacant for any reason following an Annual Meeting that position may at the discretion of the next ordinary meeting of the Federation, be filled for the remainder of that year.

(g)       The Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Secretary are empowered to act on behalf of the Federation on any matter requiring immediate decision, and to report their actions to the next meeting of the Federation for ratification.

  1. HONORARY APPOINTMENTS

(a)       At the Annual Meeting the Federation may at its discretion appoint to a position of Honorary Vice-President, any person who has rendered exceptional service as a member of the Federation, but who is no longer actively engaged in the business of the Federation.

(b)       At the Annual Meeting the Federation may at its discretion appoint to a position of Honorary Member any person who, while not being a member of the Federation, has rendered exceptional service to the Federation.

(c)        There shall be no limit to the number of people appointed under the provision of (a) and (b) above.

(d)       Those appointed to any of the above Honorary positions may attend the Annual Meeting but will not be eligible to vote. They may also attend ordinary meetings of the Federation by invitation of the President or Chairman.

  1. MEETINGS

(a)       Ordinary meetings of the Federation will take place not less than quarterly.

(b)       The Annual Meeting of the Federation, chaired by the President, shall take place not later than the last week of March of each year for the purpose of receiving the report of the Treasurer together with the financially examined accounts (which the meeting will be ask to approve) and to undertake the necessary election to offices of the Federation and to receive reports from the Chairman and Secretary.

(c)        Special Meetings will be held on written request made to the Secretary by at least three member Associations, or by the Chairman having sought the written agreement of at least one other officer.

(d)       The membership shall be given notice in writing of any Special Meeting no later than seven days prior to the date of that meeting (except in the case of a proposed change to Constitution and Rules – (see 12 below) and shall similarly be notified of the purpose of the Special Meeting.

(e)       At any Special Meeting only the business for which the meeting was called may be discussed.

  1. DUTIES OF OFFICERS

(a)       The Chairman shall conduct meetings in accordance with Standing Orders of the Federation except where the conduct is varied by these Rules. He/she will have the casting vote.

(b)       The Treasurer shall receive all monies and transact all financial business of the Federation maintaining records which are satisfactory to the Financial Examiners and shall arrange for them to carry out an independent review of the accounts prior to the presentation of those accounts for approval to an Annual Meeting.

(c)        The Secretary shall deal with correspondence and keep the minutes of the meetings. He/she shall send copies of the Agenda of the Annual Meeting, together with financially examined accounts if available, to all Federation members before the due date of the meeting.

  1. FINANCIAL EXAMINERS

(a)       Two Financial Examiners, not being officers of the Federation, shall be elected at each Annual Meeting. In the event of a vote being called at the Annual Meeting these two members will act as tellers.

  1. FINANCE

(a)       The financial year for the Federation shall end 31st January each year.

(b)       Any two of the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary or Treasurer may authorise reimbursement of any out of pocket expenses reasonably and necessarily incurred by any member of the Federation in the course of an activity on behalf of the Federation. Honoraria may be awarded at an Annual Meeting at the discretion of the members present and eligible to vote and who at that meeting will also determine the amount to be awarded.

(c)        Each Association will submit its annual Federation fee, Competition fee, lease rental and any other payments or levies payable by the Association as a combined sum to the Treasurer. The payment will be made to the Treasurer no later than 30th June in each year. The aggregated Lease rental and any other payments due to be passed on to the L.B.Bromley will be passed on by the Treasurer on or before 31st December each year.

(d)       The amount of the lease rental (which is subject to change each year in regard to the Retail Price Index (or its equivalent) and of all other payments due will be notified by the Secretary to each Association indicating the individual and combined amounts due. This will be done in advance of the date of the Annual Meeting.

(e)       Failure by any Association to submit to the Treasurer by 30th June each year the payments set out in (c) above and notified as in (d) above will incur a penalty payment equivalent to 10 per cent of the aggregate sum due for each calendar month that the payment is outstanding after that date.

  1. RESIGNATION OR LAPSE OF MEMBERSHIP

(a)       Any member Association terminating its lease (see Policy, Recognition and Membership) shall automatically be deemed to have simultaneously terminated its membership of the Federation.

  1. ALTERATION OF THE CONSTITUTION AND RULES

No alteration or addition to the Constitution and Rules may be made except by a two-thirds majority of those voting at the Annual Meeting or at a Special Meeting convened for that purpose. The Secretary of the Federation shall give written notice to the membership of any proposed change to the Constitution and Rules no later than 21 days prior to an Annual Meeting or Special Meeting for the purpose of changing the Constitution and Rules being convened.

STANDING ORDERS

The Standing Orders for the regulation of the meetings of the Federation shall be as follows:

  1. In the absence of the Chairman and Vice-Chairman from a meeting a Chairman shall be elected from the delegates present.
  2. A minimum of 10 delegates is required to form a quorum for ordinary meetings, and 20 delegates for the Annual Meeting and any Special Meeting.
  3. Meetings shall not exceed two hours.
  4. Each delegate must address his/her remarks to the Chairman. No delegate except the proposer of a resolution, who shall have a right of reply, shall speak twice to a resolution except with the permission of the Chairman.
  5. Resolutions shall be submitted to the Chairman in writing at least two days prior to the meeting, but the Chairman may at his/her discretion waive this requirement. Amendments to resolutions may be proposed without notice at the meeting.
  6. No more than one amendment to a resolution shall be discussed at any one time.
  7. No delegate shall speak to a resolution for more than five minutes without the consent of the Chairman.
  8. The delegates of each Association entitled to attend in accordance with 4(a) and 4(d) above, and the Officers of the Federation, shall be eligible to vote.
  9. Voting shall be by a show of hands from those eligible to vote, except where a secret ballot is requested by one third of those eligible to vote. Except where otherwise provided in the Constitution and Rules resolutions shall be passed by a simple majority; the Chairman shall have a casting vote.

The “Constitution and Rules” and Standing Orders (as revised) were approved and adopted at the Annual Meeting of the Federation 2013.

The BALGF President, Chairman, Vice Chairman and Secretary together with 7 members elected from plot holders across the Borough represent BALGF at meetings of the Leisure Gardens and Allotments Consultative Panel (The Panel).

The Panel, which consists of 5 Councillors, 11 BALGF members, and representatives of the Council’s Commissioned Partner, currently Idverde, meets 3 times a year, and is always chaired by a Councillor. The purpose of these meetings is to satisfy the Council, that in their capacity as Landlords, their Tenants – the Allotment Associations – are managing their land – the Allotment Sites – in accordance with the terms and conditions of their Leases and for the BALGF to bring significant issues raised at BALGF meetings to the Councils attention. It is the duty of the BALGF Panel members to ensure that at all times the interests of all Federation members – the plot holders – is upheld.

Leisure Gardens and Allotment Consultative Panel

Terms of Reference (Version 9)

  1. PURPOSE OF THE PANEL

1.1      To provide a forum for discussion and liaison between the Council’s Commissioned Partner on behalf of the London Borough’s Environment and Community Services Department and the Bromley Allotments and Leisure Gardens Federation (BALGF), on matters relating to the provision and management of leisure gardens and allotments. This will align with the period of contact until 31st March 2019.

1.2      To review the performance of the various leisure gardens and allotment facilities in the Borough through annual surveys returns, reports to the Panel, Competition and Member visits.

1.3      To review and consider occasional reports or receive guest speakers, regarding leisure gardens, allotments, sustainable food production, recycling or other related horticultural matters in specific regional or national contexts.

  1. COMPOSITION

2.1      The Panel shall be a non-executive body empowered to make recommendations to the Council’s Commissioned Partner, for enactment, who will refer these to officers within the Council as appropriate and where necessary to the Environment PDS Committee for decision.

2.2      The Panel should be composed of up to six elected Members appointed by the London Borough of Bromley and up to eleven members nominated by the Bromley Allotment and Leisure Gardens Federation.

2.3      Members of the Panel shall be appointed annually and serve for one year.

2.4      The Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Panel shall be elected by the Panel at the first meeting following the new Council year (normally July). Their appointment in office shall run from that election until the first meeting of the Panel, in the next Council year.

2.5      The Panel shall have the option to co-opt and/or re-affirm annually at its first meeting, non-voting members to serve the Panel in an advisory capacity. The appointment shall be of such duration as the Chairman and/or co-opted member so wish.

2.6      The Chairman of the Panel will be a Councillor and the Vice-Chairman a representative of the Federation.

  1. FREQUENCY OF MEETINGS

3.1      The Panel shall meet on three occasions a year, July, October and February on dates determined by the Chairman of the Panel, as necessary.

3.2      Special meetings may additionally be set to consider matters of urgency, the competition, the Annual Member Tour or similar; the results of which shall be brought before the next available Panel meeting.

  1. QUORUM

4.1      A minimum of two Councillors and three Federation members of the Panel shall be the quorum for a meeting of the Panel.

  1. DETERMINATION OF ISSUES AT MEETINGS

5.1      All 17 members of the Panel are entitled to vote upon any matter, which is under its consideration, subject to the normal restrictions applying to those members of the Panel who declare an interest.

5.2      All matters before the Panel shall be determined by a vote of those members of the Panel present, and in the case of equality of votes, the person presiding shall have a second or casting vote.

  1. GENERAL POWERS AND ADMINISTRATION

6.1      The representatives of the LB Bromley shall be a Director or senior managers of the Council’s Commissioned Partner.

6.2      The Council’s Commissioned Partner, shall provide secretarial support for the Panel, where available.

6.3      Items for discussion by the Panel shall be conveyed to the Council’s Commissioned Partner, with any supporting detail, three weeks in advance of the meeting of the Panel. This will apply to both the Authority and the Federation.

6.4      An agenda of items for discussion by the Panel shall be circulated to all members of the Panel not less than one week in advance of the meeting.

6.5      The minutes and recommendations of the Panel shall, if necessary, be reported to the next Environment PDS Committee.

6.6      The minutes of the meeting shall be confirmed by the person presiding at the Panel and sent to each member, once produced and available for circulation.

Advertisement