Diggle Lane Allotment Association
Site Rules Issue 1       1/1/2004

1. Association Name
The name of the Association shall be – The Diggle Lane Allotment Association. (Herein called “D.L.A.A.”).
2. Aims
The D.L.A.A. shall maintain the site for the benefit of all residents of Bury& surrounding areas and may be required to undertake social & recreational activities including fund raising.
3. Powers
a)The D.L.A.A. shall have the power to affiliate to the National Association of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners or its successor or any other organisations that may further its objectives.
b)The committee shall have the power to employ any person(s) or contractors as deemed necessary to maintain the site.
c)The committee shall have the power to hire out allotments when they become vacant. Applications will be taken from the current waiting list kept by the committee in date applied for order.
d)The committee shall have the power to terminate the tenancy of any member of the D.L.A.A. whom it considers to have broken site rules, not upheld the D.L.A.A. constitution or behaved in an offensive manner bringing the D.L.A.A. into disrepute.
e)Tenants who allow their plots to deteriorate without a reasonable excuse shall be warned by the committee, (two monthly written warnings and a final warning after the third month). Failure to comply will result in the allotment being reallocated.
f)A refund of rent may be repaid for outstanding months at The Committee’s discretion if keys are returned and the allotment is in reasonable condition.
g)The committee or tenant may terminate tenancies by giving three months notice in writing expiring on the first of January in any year.
h)The committee shall have the power to set up and or dissolve sub committees from time to time, or to invite any member to assist in any project.
4. Membership
a)Membership shall be open to all persons in the Bury and surrounding areas and shall not be unreasonably refused to anyone on the grounds of sex, colour, creed, nationality or any other basis determined to be discriminatory by national legislation.
b)Full membership shall be open to persons aged over sixteen. Juniors aged under sixteen years shall not have voting rights.
c)The named tenant is the only person that shall have a vote at meetings of the D.L.A.A. irrespective of the size of their plot or the number of plots held by them.
5. Conditions of Hire
The Tenant shall comply with the following terms.
a)He shall cultivate the land for the growth of vegetables or other substantial foodstuffs and may grow flowers or shrubs but shall not cultivate the land for commercial gain.
b)He shall not cause any nuisance or annoyance to the occupier of any other allotment or obstruct paths set by the D.L.A.A. for the use of allotment holders.
c)He shall be responsible for the maintenance of any fences or buildings erected on their allotments. The D.L.A.A. does not accept liability for any accidents due to negligence or failure to comply with this rule.
d)He shall keep all internal paths/roads bordering their allotment tidy and offering a safe and accessible passage at all times.
e)He shall keep perimeter gates closed and locked at all times.
f)He shall not keep livestock on the allotment at any time.
g)He shall not leave any vehicle parked on allotment land unless he is cultivating an allotment whilst the vehicle is parked.
h)He shall keep dogs under control at all times.
i)He shall not erect any new structures, sheds, greenhouses etc without written consent of the D.L.A.A.
j)He shall not cause offensive smoke smells etc and must observe any regulations issued by the Environmental Health Officer.
k)He may not sink any well for the purpose of obtaining water.
l)Any member vacating their allotment for whatever reason must ensure the removal of any possessions and/or buildings before leaving. Any items remaining will become the property of the D.L.A.A. who may dispose of they think fit.
m)Any allotment holder wishing to exchange to a vacant plot must apply for inclusion on the waiting list. Exchanges will not be allowed to the detriment of people already on the waiting list.
n)Allotment holders should not have a private water supply connected to the mains.
o)Large Bonfires should be conducted between November1st and March31st. Bar-B-Q’s are acceptable at any time.
p)Water supplies may be terminated (at The Committee’s discretion) during the same period.
6. Payment of Rent
a)The committee shall have the power to levy subscriptions on tenants and shall determine the level of subscriptions annually. The rent shall be paid yearly in advance due on the first day of January in each year.
b)The tenancy may be terminated by the D.L.A.A. if
(1)The rent is in arrears for not less than 40 days. Or
(2) The tenant is not observing the conditions as in 5. Conditions of Hire.
7. Officers of The D.L.A.A.
The Executive officers shall be Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer, who shall be elected at the A.G.M. Any person will be eligible for re-election if they so wish.
8. Management Committee
a)The policy and general management of the D.L.A.A. shall be vested in a management committee (herein called the Committee) consisting of the Executive officers of the association and up to five other members plus an option to co-op a further two members if required.
b)The committee shall establish and update as required a series of rules and guidelines covering all aspects of day to day running of the site. Nothing in the rules must be at variance with the constitution of the D.L.A.A.
c)The Committee will discuss and deal with any written complaint from any member of the D.L.A.A.
9. Meetings
a)The Annual General Meeting (A.G.M.) of the D.L.A.A. shall be held early in December. The business of the meeting shall include the following
1)Approval of previous A.G.M. or E.G.M.
2)Chairman’s Annual Report
3)Secretary’s Annual Report
4)Treasurers Annual Report
5)Committee Report’s (Site, Project, Safety, Shop & Leisure)
6)Election of Executive Officers and Committee Members
7)Motions
8)Setting of Subscriptions and Rent
9)Appointment of Auditors.
10) Any Other Business
b)Motions and nominations for officers must be in writing, proposed and seconded and received by the secretary not less than 3 days prior to the meeting.
c)Extraordinary General Meeting (E.G.M.) of the D.L.A.A. shall be convened by a signed request by at least 10 members and passed to the secretary with a full explanation of the details to be considered.
d)The Subject of an E.G.M. must be an issue that cannot be deferred to the A.G.M. The Chairman will rule on any request and inform the members of the decision.
e)The Committee shall meet at least every three months on dates and times determined by the Committee.
10. Notice of Meetings
a)General meetings.  Notice shall be given at least twenty-one days prior to the meeting and must include date, place time and agenda.
b)E.G.M’s. These are convened at the discretion of the chairman, following receipt of details from the secretary.
c)Management Committee. At least seven days unless the business is so urgent that this is not possible.
11. Conduct of Meetings
a)A general meeting shall not be a quorate unless at least 10% or fifteen members, which ever is the least, are present.
b)A committee meeting shall not be a quorate unless one third of the members including one officer are present.
c)The chairman of any meeting shall have the power to expel from the meeting any member(s) whose behaviour in the opinion of the chairman disrupt the meeting.
d)The secretary of the D.L.A.A. shall keep records of all business conducted in a book specifically for this purpose.
12. Voting
a)Voting at all meetings shall be a show of hands, unless a motion to hold a secret ballot on a specific issue is carried by a simple majority of those present. In case of an equality of votes the chairman shall have second and casting vote.
b)Motions relating to the constitution between the D.L.A.A. and the Bury Metropolitan Borough Council shall require a two-thirds majority.