Parish Council and allotments (1903)

Post date: Feb 24, 2012 8:54:42 AM

PARISH COUNCIL—Mr. W. J. Dray and Mr. Edgar A. Smith have been elected to fill the vacancies caused by the death of Mr. J. K. Pearson and the resignation of Dr. Walter E. Fry.

The Council has passed new rules and conditions of tenancy drawn up by its Allotments Committee, whereby all tenants are required to sign an agreement to keep the ground properly cultivated,not to sublet,not to work on Sundays, to pay the rent quarterly in advance, etc., etc. Forms of application for an allotment are supplied by the Clerk to the Council. Existing tenants are required to conform to the new rules. The Vicar has offered to give three prizes this year for the best cultivated allotments—1st prize, 15s. 0d.; 2nd, 10s. 0d. ; 3rd, 5s. 0d.—open to all holders who shall have signed and paid advance rent by July 1st. The judging will take place towards the end of July and early in September, the awards being made after the second judging on the double results. The Council has decided that an annual statement of its accounts shall be printed.

A copy of the allotment rules is to be found in the Parish Council minute book, 1894-1920 (ref PC/301/A/1/1) at Kent Archives. They are transcribed below:

Rules

and

Conditions of Tenancy

1. -The Tenant shall pay a yearly rent of Five Shillings (5s. per year) for every allotment of ten rods1 of ground.

2.-The rent shall be paid to the Clerk, in advance, quarterly, on or before the first day of January, April, July and October.

3.- No portion of an Allotment shall be sub-let.

4.-The Tenant shall keep the paths adjoining his allotment clean and free from obstructions, and he shall keep the Allotment properly manured and cultivated to the satisfaction of the Allotment committee.

5.-No work shall be done in the Allotments on Sunday.

6.-The Tenant shall not remove any boundary stump, and he shall not snare or destroy rabbits or game. (The Landlord reserves all sporting rights).

7. -Any complaint shall be made in writing to the Clerk.

8.-Any Member or duly authorised representative of the Council shall be entitled at any time to enter and inspect the Allotments.

9.-If the Tenant, break any of these Rules he shall forfeit his allotment, without compensation, on the receipt of written notice to that effect from the Committee through the Clerk.

10.-The tenancy, if not terminated by the Committee, shall terminate upon the death of a Tenant, or on his ceasing to reside in the Parish, or after one month's notice by the Tenant, such notice to expire on a quarter day.

11.-An applicant for an Allotment shall fill up a form of application (to be obtained of the Clerk) and the clerk shall keep a Register of applicants in order of application. The committee in considering applications shall give precedence and preference to householders on the register.

12.-An Allottee, having signed the regular Form of Agreement with the Council, shall not enter upon his tenancy until he shall have handed to the Clerk the advance rent and the amount of compensation due to the outgoing Tenant under the provisions of the Allotment Act, 1887. The amount shall be handed by the Clerk to the outgoing Tenant or his representative (except in the case of Rule 9). In case of disagreement as to valuation the decision of the Committee shall be final.

W. W. BLEST

Chairman of Parish Council

and of Allotments Committee.

April 6th, 1903.

Notes:

1. 10 rods is a fairly standard allotment. A rod is technically a measure of length; there are 160 square rods to an acre; or a square rod is equivalent to 250 m2.