I have been contacted by Geoff Evans the Director of a programme to be entitled Post Code Lottery. Filming will commence in the autumn for broadcast by the BBC early next year. The theme of the programme is the inequality in services provided simply due to where you live and he is keen to include allotments. He is very keen to talk to members of the Ashton Allotment Action Group and follow up your story from the One Show. I sent him Paul Haydon’s email and pointed him in the direction of this site. He tells me that he hasn’t been able to contact Paul by email. Perhaps Paul, Nigel or William can contact me and I will pass Geoff’s contact details on to them. My email is davejmorris49@hotmail.com or phone 0151 512 3882. I think that it would be a great opportunity to get our message across to as wide an audience as possible.
May I also welcome the Ashton Allotment Action into membership of the NSALG. I am sure that all of your members will find their membership helpful in their continued fight. I hope to get out to the site again in the near future.
I am having a meeting with Mike Round, Tameside's Assistant Executive Director, Mick O'Brien, the council's allotment officer and representatives from a number of the allotments sites at Stalybridge Civic Hall this week to discuss Tameside's new Allotment Association Agreements. I will take the opportunity to seek an update from Mike Round as to what progress has been made re discussions with the Developer re your site. The last response that I had from Ian Cochrane at the council was less than encouraging. I wrote to him saying “I am slightly confused by the response of Andrew Newsam from Cordingleys (see attached) to a letter from Nigel Rowland in which he states "that they (Cordingleys) have over a considerable length of time asked (Tameside Council) to clarify their position relating to the allotments." From this response it would appear that they think that the "ball is in Tameside's court". Before I contact Andrew is this the understanding of Mike Round and Tameside Council? “ To which he eventually responded by stating “In terms of the Ashton Moss site the official position of the Council is that we have never had allotments on the Moss - they were in private ownership - and the current site is not owned by the Council. The terms and conditions currently on the table by the developer in respect of land transfer issues, including the allotment site, are not favourable to the Council and Council tax payers. Negotiations will continue with a view to securing a favourable outcome for all parties”
I do try to keep up to date with developments via Facebook but please feel free to email or contact me by phone.
Dave Morris
NW Rep NSALG
0151 512 3882
