Author: Web Editor

The office will be open for the payment of rents only at these times:

Friday 28th, Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th October between 10.00 am and 12.00 noon
Saturday 5th, Sunday 6th and Thursday 10th November between 10.00 am and 12.00 noon

The 10th of November is the last day to be able to pay the rent.

All plotholders should have received an invoice by post, providing the amount to be paid, together with a breakdown of how that is calculated. Please complete the form on the back of the invoice and bring it with your payment to the office/hall.

Payments must be made in person, together with:

• Photo ID
• Proof of eligibility for a discount, if appropriate
• Date of Birth
• Number of site keys held
• Telephone number
• Email address

Please note that payment must be made in cash or by cheque.

BACS payments and card payments are not possible, nor can payments be posted in the mailbox.

A proposal to hold an Extraordinary General Meeting has been requested by Society Members to discuss the reason for the proposed increase in water charges.

The meeting will be held at 2:30pm on Saturday 24th September 2022 in the hall at 180 Spa Hill, SE19 3TU.

Thames Water have changed their information regarding the hosepipe ban.

The changes appear to allow the use of hosepipes to water food being grown – but not flowers – where no other means of watering is reasonably possible.

Specifically, their website now includes the following additions:

What changes have we made?

“We’ve received a number of helpful comments and queries since we first announced the restrictions. As a result, we’ve made changes which mean you can:
Use a hosepipe on an allotment – but not in a garden – to water food being grown there, where essential.

https://www.thameswater.co.uk/help/water-restrictions

and also states:

The following additional exceptions to the prohibition are now included:

Watering food crops on allotments
Allotment holders shall be able to water their food crops (but not other plants and flowers) with a hosepipe, where no other means of watering is reasonably possible.

https://www.thameswater.co.uk/help/water-restrictions/legal-notice

Thames Water are bringing in a hosepipe ban from 24th August 2022. This applies to the allotment site. Please don’t use a hosepipe for watering your garden, allotment or plants after that date, until the ban is lifted. The ban applies to hosepipes and anything attached to them, like sprinklers and jet washers.

You can use mains water from a watering can or bucket instead of a hose – but please make every drop count and help protect the environment and our precious supplies by only using water where you really need to.

Mobility issues?

If you’re a Blue Badge holder or are on our Priority Services Register with a mobility issue, you can still use a hose for watering your garden/allotment and plants under Exception 12 of the temporary ban. Please call into the office for your hosepipe permit if you are eligible.

People with severe mobility problems who hold a current Blue Badge as issued by their local authority will not be prohibited from using a hosepipe to: (a) water a garden attached to a domestic dwelling, (b) clean a private motor vehicle, (c) water plants on domestic or other non-commercial premises, (d) water allotments where the Blue Badge holder is the tenant, (e) fill or maintain a domestic pond, (f) clean walls or windows of domestic premises, (g) clean paths or patios; or (h) clean other artificial surfaces.

See Thames Water legal notice for full details.