General Discussion

Congratulations must surely be due to Dawlish resident Toby Buckland who has been announced as the new 'front' presenter of BBC's Gardeners' World. His first programme is due next Friday evening. He follows in a long line including Percy Thrower, Alan Titchmarsh and most recently Monty Don. May he do as well as they have. There are more details about Toby in this weeks Radio Times, last Friday's Daily Telegraph (which dubs him a 'cheeky-chappie') and a free Council rag that came through most people's door this week.

Lets hope Toby can help Dawlishonians in their quest to provide more allotments. After all, it is no good Tody addressing an audience that have not got the facilities to grow a bean.

Under the Allotments Act (the date illudes me for the moment,) councils are under an obligation to provide allotments if 6 or more of the electorate make a request for one.

There was only about 30 signatures requesting a Skateboard park, there were only 15 who said CCTV would be of some benefit, so with the request for allotments far outstripping those two projects, where is the debate in providing for allotments.

I understand that the waiting list is quite large.
So where there is a definite need, why not some of you sow the seed in the minds of your councillor and see what they come up with?
Leased land by the way is not the answer.

From : Smallholdings and allotments Act 1908
23.
Duty of certain councils to provide allotments.
— (1) If the council of any borough, urban district, or parish are of opinion that there is a demand for allotments . . . in the borough, urban district, or parish, . . . the council shall provide a sufficient number of allotments, and shall let such allotments to persons . . . resident in the borough, district, or parish, and desiring to take the same.
(2) On a representation in writing to the council of any borough, urban district, or parish, by any six registered parliamentary electors or [ persons who are liable to pay an amount in respect of council tax] resident in the borough, urban district, or parish, that the circumstances of the borough, urban district, or parish are such that it is the duty of the council to take proceedings under this Part of this Act therein, the council shall take such representation into consideration.

With the money spent on the useless CCTV system we now have, we could have bought a 30 acre field with the same money, (three times the size of Sandy Lane playing fields.)
Now that would be of considerable benefit to all in Dawlish for many, many, many different activities.
What have we now? A field where activities are being packed in like sardines in a tin.

And who do you think should be getting all the praise for something that is barely fit for purpose? Yes you have guessed it. Your councillors that are there to represent you.