Asset Transfer Update - As at June 2024

 

Sewall Drive Allotments & Open Space

 

The allotments at Sewall Drive remain in the hands of the developers. There have been several occasions over the past few years when the Parish Council has been assured by the Borough Council that the handover of the allotments was coming soon, but this has never actually been the case. Until the developer satisfies the Borough Council that it has fulfilled all of its obligations in preparing the site then the land cannot be handed over. This includes providing specifications for the buildings, drainage and so on.

 

Once the Borough Council has the land it has committed to putting in sufficient standpipes to serve the allotment properly and to joining with the Parish Council is converting part of the on site building for use as a temporary Parish Office.

 

The Parish Council has planned to provide free rent for the first year for those on the waiting list, as well as free skips for removal of stones from allotments and a substantial quantity of soil improver for the use of the allotment holders as we anticipate problems with the quality of the soil.

 

The most recent expectation is that the site could be transferred to the Parish Council over the summer.

 

Stoke Common Cemetery

 

This is owned by the same developer that still has the allotments at Sewall Drive. Again, the Borough Council has committed to providing the necessary standpipes. Once the land is transferred to the Parish Council, some of the funds that come with it will be used to provide bins, benches, a noticeboard and any necessary paths, before the Cemetery is opened for use. This is also expected to be transferred in the summer although as history has shown, these expectations are often not realised.

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Bow Lake Gardens Allotments

 

This land was assessed for beginning its 12 month countdown to being passed to the Borough Council in 2021. This transfer has not been completed although the Borough Council has taken on the maintenance of the site. It has not yet been offered to the Parish Council. The Parish Council employed a specialist to assess the site for its intended use as an allotment and the report found a number of problems. Some of the problems were: the land sloping rather than being tiered as originally planned; no safe ramps or steps with handrails to travel between elevations as had been planned; insufficient standpipes; a fence that whilst it meets the planned specifications does nothing to keep out deer, badgers or rabbits and poor soil quality.

 

When the Parish Council raised these concerns with the Borough Council the response was that the developer had met their obligations. 

 

One additional problem is that although it is usual for any site being transferred to come with a pot of money for the maintenance of that site over the next few years, the allotment site has NO money attached, and so if the Parish Council wanted to make the site useable then it would have to find an estimated £10k - £20k just for the initial works, and would also have to immediately fund the maintenance of the site.

 

Bow Lake Gardens Community Orchard

 

The Orchard is situated lower down the slope than the allotments and is not easily accessible without going through the allotments. There are very few actual fruit trees there and the site is overgrown.

In summary: there have been many delays since the original projects were announced, none of which have been caused by the Parish Council. The Parish Council has no role in setting the agreements between the developers and the Planning Authority (Eastleigh Borough Council) and has no role in enforcing what actually happens. The Parish is the very last body in the chain of transfer and has the least control over every aspect of it. As such the Parish Council is at the mercy of both the developers and the Borough Council when it comes to the planned transfer of sites.