The Sutton Allotments Group historically met at the Civic Offices twice a year, this was reduced to once a year in 2015. These meetings were arranged by Bill Wyatt and Jackie Eldridge from the council. The meetings gave allotment site representatives a chance to raise issues with the Parks Service officers and look for joint solutions to any problems. Together, we develop new ideas to promote allotment gardening and improve our sites. We discuss local issues and the Site Reps were provided with occupancy details for each site. Bills hope was that the site reps would come together as a group and ultimately take control of the Sutton Allotment Group, this didn't happen.
The council having no alternative due to budget cuts and the need to save money have contracted out parks cemeteries and allotments and have handed over the management externally to Idverde
The handover meeting was held not a Civic Offices but another venue and the number of Site Reps that attended was very small. Due to the lack of support with Site Inspections that the council could provide during the transition year a number of Site Reps stood down from their voluntary posts, as they felt that they were not going to be supported in their role.
Due to a number of teething problems a number of the remaining Site Reps got in touch with each other and agreed a London Borough of Site Rep Hub was required and actually there was a need for us to band together and take greater control of the agenda items at Sutton Allotment Group meetings which would now include not only council officers but Idverde.
Idverde acknowledge that they are unable to provide the same or better level of service that had been provided by the local authority without the help and assistance of Site Reps, Allotment Committees and Allotment Associations.
An emergency meeting between as many Site Reps as we could muster, Idverde and Bill Wyatt was held on Thursday 30th November to agree a way forward and set achievable targets for the meeting to be held in February 2018.
