[Aunt Sally]

Allotment holders (in general) are not permitted to make a financial profit by selling produce, unlike a farm.  They are more like an extension to someones back garden - just not joined on.

[John]

Allotment holders (in general) are not permitted to make a financial profit by selling produce, unlike a farm.  They are more like an extension to someones back garden - just not joined on.

I meant sites that make a profit rather than plotholders.

[Aunt Sally]

How would an allotment site make a profit  :?

[John]

Well none do like a company but some collect more in rent than their costs, usually this is into a fund for improvements later like new fencing.

I'm sure there's some special accountancy term for it.

[John]

Damn, I'll be thinking about this all night now.  

[Oscar Too]

I've written to my MP about this (and other matters) expressing my utter disgust that we have a system that prioritises the profit motive to the utter detriment of the fabric of our society.  I'll post his reply back up.

Anyone else taken action?  Any results?

[waddecar]

I have been following this in the press - didn't realise that allotments might be affected. Several points though:

This "action" has been initiated by OFWAT so all water companies will have to implement so its not just a north west problem.

UU dont actually want to do it (or so they say) and UU have this week postponed implementation for 12 months inthe hope that politicians will sort it out

But that only delays it for 12 months so write to your MP

[Oscar Too]

Does anyone have a link or any info about the telegraph campaign?  I can't find it easily.  I'm keen to get allotments on board with that campaign.  Any objections?

[Ice]

Hope this helps.  I did email them but never got a reply.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/4376454/Time-to-ease-pressure-of-rain-tax-on-sports-clubs.html

[Oscar Too]

OK, found it.

Let's get this out to everyone we know.

Oscar

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/4376454/Time-to-ease-pressure-of-rain-tax-on-sports-clubs.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/forumOtherInsertThread.do;jsessionid=A618FA24A9414FDEAEF5BFF992FCBFDC.drtomcat2

I'll do some more thinking over the weekend, but it seems to me that we should be
a) joining in with existing efforts, such as the one above, and
b) encouraging the National Society to start taking action

I have no links to the national society other than paying my sub every year.  Does anyone have any links to committee/management level?

[Oscar Too]

Letter to my MP - feel free to adapt and send to yours.  Written with the help of an experienced parliamentary campaigner, by the way.


Dear Jonathan

I was astonished to find out about the recent changes to utility pricing policy by OFWAT.

Utility companies all over England are seeking to charge churches, community sports clubs, schools, and allotment societies the same commercial rate for rainwater disposal as they charge supermarkets and leisure parks.  Leave aside the fact that rainwater is the raw material for the product that they sell back to the users.  Churches, local sports clubs and so on are part of the warp and weft of our society.  Charging commercial rates will cripple and close many of them, damaging society’s fabric and cohesion even further.  It is outrageous that a private company can even contemplate such a move, let alone implement it.  It is more outrageous that these moves have OFWAT’s support.

Let us also leave aside the idiocy of privatising natural monopolies.

I am aghast that we are so ready to sacrifice everything to the profit motive.  The regulators are powerless to protect consumers, and the Government kow-tows to the business community.

You may be aware that the England Rugby player Brian Moore is leading a campaign by sports clubs to force utilities companies to back down over these proposed charges.  I shall be alerting the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners to the threat to our pastime and our nation’s health.

I would like you to write to the chairman of Southern Water, Mike Welton, at

Southern Water Services
Southern House
Yeoman Road
Worthing
Sussex
BN13 3NX

and ask him to explain his companys’ position in relation to this.





I would also like you to write to both OFWAT, and your colleague the Minister for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, asking why this new pricing structure has been approved.  I would be grateful to receive copies of any replies.

Yours sincerely





Oscar Franklin

[John]

That's very good Oscar - we need to mention allotments though 

This site provides details of your mp and how to get to them Write to Them

[Oscar Too]

That's very good Oscar - we need to mention allotments though 

This site provides details of your mp and how to get to them Write to Them

Erm, I did, twice....

good link, I should have thought of posting that one too.

I've emailed my local BBC about whether they are interested in the story. 

I hope we get a bandwagon going.  I'm furious about this (and a lot of other Labour failures).

Pity it takes ten years of a Labour government to make me become an activist for local communities' and people's rights instead of the profit margin.

[richyrich7]

Problem is if you read OFWAT's site they say they say they are doing implementing it in responce to guidance by the Secretary of Sate in 2000 !

There's a E-petition on line about it but it relates on to places of worship, I'm proposing to launch one for allotments, sports clubs etc. Just trying to get the wording right   

[Tinbasher]

Letter to my MP - feel free to adapt and send to yours.  Written with the help of an experienced parliamentary campaigner, by the way.

Brilliant this, and to all the others who have researched and initiated campaigns too.  I rung UU this week gone, pestering about these new charges and quoting opposition and things I'd seen & heard in the media (and on here though i didn't tell them that much).  They've promised to write to us this next week.