22/09/2025 BRAG Meeting Minutes.
Borough of Richmond Allotment Group (BRAG)
Meeting Minutes of the Meeting Date: 22nd September 2025, 7pm
Venue: Council Chamber, York House, Twickenham
Present (Site Representatives):
Briar Road – Alison Horwood
Briar Road – Jonathan Glinos
Cavendish House – Paul Leonard (Deputy Group) – part meeting
Hatherop – Mike Wren
Hertford Avenue/Palewell Park – Rachel Walker (Deputy Group)
Manor Road – James Millar
Mill Road – Ian Micklewright
Old Palace Lane – Sue Childs (Deputy Group/Minutes)
Palewell Pavilion/Priory/Triangle – Moira Thomson
Queens Road – Jessie Sheffield
Short Lots Kew – Julie Clare
Short Lots Kew – Chris Morley Smith (Deputy Group/Chair)
Sixth Cross Road – Jane Antippa
Sixth Cross Road –Eleanor Mckinlay
St Anne’s Passage/Westfields – Andy Chopping
Townmead – Richard Ward
Apologies for Absence:
South Close – Theresa Page
Walnut Tree – David Metherell
Walnut Tree – Terry Payne
Council Representative – Jo Rogers, Allotment Officer
1. Minutes of Last Meeting
Chris Morley Smith welcomed all to the meeting. There were no amendments to the minutes of the last meeting on 19th May 2025.
Update on actions from previous minutes (not covered in later Agenda items):
ACTION: Raise the use of the physical eviction notice sign with Jo. Jo agreed that she would make this happen on all sites. Closed.
ACTION: Briar Road/Sheen/Others to send Safeguarding Policies to the BRAG email to circulate to others. A reminder was given to circulate these documents if any site has one.
ACTION: Please send any suppliers of training on tree pruning to the BRAG email for circulation. Jo also had a previous action to pursue assistance from Orchard Project to help with pruning. Jo reported that she had also been in contact with agricultural colleges to see if they colleges could train their students in tree pruning using the trees on allotment sites. – Ongoing
It was noted that it might be worth investigating whether the Sheen Allotments could liaise with the Barnes Common Tree group, as long as the Council’s Tree Officers agreed to any work undertaken.
Sites should note that the Council has cases where it has pursued compensation for the “environmental value” of a tree (many thousands) if it has been removed without authorisation.
Sixth Cross reported that the golf course has banned any pruning of the trees which overhang the site. They have threatened that pruning of the trees means the site will take responsibility for any golf balls that come over. It was suggested that this was not an accurate legal position, and Jo said she will follow this up separately with Sixth Cross and investigate the position with the legal team at South London Legal Partnership.
Add to the list of proposed changes to the T&Cs – A tenant will be charged when the tenant leaves the plot for the removal or pruning of any trees planted by the tenant which do not comply with the T&Cs.
Jo was requested to invite the Head of Trees to the BRAG AGM in December. Action Jo to invite Head of Trees.
Items not discussed:
Jo Rodgers – ongoing – Livestock Policy updates.
Rachel Walker – ongoing – compile biodiversity information to go into Council’s Welcome Pack and issue to existing plot holders.
2. Update on BRAG Allotment Garden at RHS Hampton Court Flower Show (30 June – 6 July 2025)
Jessie Sheffield reported that the project had produced an award winning garden, built closer ties between the sites that participated and had the opportunity to tell visitors about BRAG and what we do. As a result of this project, BRAG now has:
• A website (HOME – BRAG) with the potential to become a useful tool in the local allotment community going forward, especially if community funding is being sought. The website currently has no cost as it is part of Jessie’s portfolio. It was agreed that a calendar of events happening on other sites would be very useful.
• A large painted sign of the BRAG logo (approx. 1m x1m)
• The RHS signs about the BRAG garden
The remaining tasks are to publish the video of the event (on website) and arrange the final project team meet-up.
It was suggested that, building on the links made in this project, a programme of ‘internal open days’ could be organized where one site would open to visits by Site Reps/plot holders from other sites.
It was agreed that Jo should invite the self-managed sites, Barn Elms and Royal Paddocks, to attend the next BRAG meeting. Action Jo to invite self-managed Site Reps.
3. BRAG Mission/Constitution Discussion
It was agreed that the Mission did not need any changes.
The Seed Swap event and Hampton Court Flower Show project has highlighted that it was worth considering a change in the BRAG Constitution to allow for future project funding through grants and charity awards. In addition, due to pressure on Council budgets, Jo reported that BRAG may in the future need to pursue options for external funding eg capital funding for paths and eco loos.
Any change to enable BRAG to hold funds will require a Treasurer role. It was agreed that a proposal should be drafted for consideration and approval at the AGM, which gives BRAG the option to hold funding if required. James Millar proposed the change and agreed to draft the wording. Richard Ward seconded the proposal.
4. Status of Council Sell-off of Allotments
Although the National trend is a loss of plots, Richmond has no plans to reclaim further sites/plots.
The 2015 review of Richmond cemeteries identified that only 8 burial plots remained at Teddington cemetery. The Shaklegate site was always a cemetery and is being reclaimed for its original use. There is a planning application for this open if anyone wants to comment. All documents relating to the planning application, objections and to make comments are here: Citizen Portal Planning – application details. Comments should be submitted by the end of publicity date which is 10 October.
Queens Road is the only other cemetery site but is not considered to be in danger of a change of use. Jo reported that the Council’s legal team are confirming the status of all the sites. 8 are statutory, Bushy is leased from the Royal Parks and OPL from the Crown Estate. It was noted that Briar Road was donated ‘in perpetuity’ by the Twinings family.
It was discussed that Manor Road was originally Crown Estate, sold to a company and then to the Council in 1857. It was raised that the upgrading of North Sheen Rail station to meet the demand of the Homebase development project, may require the acquisition of allotment land.
5. Ideas for improvement in Review/Warning/Key processes
The trial of Committee/Site Reps giving out keys to new tenants (instead of posting) has been successful and Jo will roll this out to other sites.
Jo apologised for the poor responses in the last few months due to the Admin colleague being off sick long term and resourcing issues covering Yvonne Feehan’s maternity leave. In the future, it has been agreed that from October 1 st , the three parks colleagues will be offering more assistance on (a) financial administration (to free up a chunk of time) and (b) when Jo is away/on leave/off sick one of them will scan the allotments inbox for actionable urgent items such as new lettings contracts, posting keys and dealing with urgent repairs (leaky taps, faulty padlocks, wasps nests).
Jo reported that she would allow more time to do the inspections so that she could send the paperwork during or immediately afterwards. The end of season inspections will start w/c 6 th October.
The following suggestions were made and agreed should be implemented where possible (Action Jo):
• A separate email for Site Management should be set-up to differentiate items raised by the Site Reps from the general public requests.
• The subject line for really important items could be marked as URGENT.
• All warnings and nudging letters should be emailed – and warning letters would be backed up by leaving the physical notice on the plot (as agreed previously)
• Warnings should be standardized and no photos sent initially. If the tenant challenged the notice, further detail and photos could be sent. (A ‘tick list’ in a standard email was also suggested as something maybe to trial.)
• Jo will produce a standard letter that could also be sent by Committees (in agreement with Jo during the inspection visit)
6. Habitat Action Plan & Biodiversity on Plots
Rachel Walker reported that she had represented BRAG at the Richmond Biodiversity Group. She is championing to get allotments separated from gardens in the Habitat Action Plan as they are currently grouped together. Allotments are key sites for biodiversity and a specific Allotment Habitat Action Plan may also be vital in protecting sites from change of use (as discussed earlier).
Rachel proposed that the T&Cs were updated with a new clause that any key biodiversity feature that is in existence on a plot when a new tenant takes over, eg pond, must remain in place.
The Sheen allotment sites have volunteered to be tested in a Dark Skies Survey, especially as the sports lights from the Richmond Park Academy school have a big impact on the area.
It was reported that Sheen had received £5k for 30-50 water butts from Community Bluescapes to encourage sustainable water usage: https://communitybluescapes.commonplace.is/
Applications may have to wait for another round of funding to open but there is also the Richmond Council climate action microgrants to which sites could apply: https://www.richmond.gov.uk/climate_action_microgrants
Jo reported that a target for the Council next year is to investigate and reduce water usage. It is possible that in the long term, there will be a separate change for water. She is researching how other sites manage water and it is likely that eventually there will be no hoses and push button taps to fill watering cans.
Mains water turn off will commence after Guy Faulks night on the 5th November.
7. T&C Update Schedule
The aim was to launch an update of the T&Cs next year in Feb/March. It is also planned to issue a ‘Code of Conduct’ as unpleasant behaviour is becoming an increasing issue.
It was agreed that the updated T&Cs should include conditions relating to those plots which border riverbanks as it was identified that this affected many sites.
8. Shop Supply Issues
It was confirmed that the Compost Centre is closing and that the shops were in contact with each other to try to find another comparable supplier.
9. AOB
Richard Ward questioned whether it was appropriate to circulate the BRAG minutes to plot holders. It was noted that, as BRAG meetings are open to all plot holders (but only the Site Representatives are allowed to vote), the minutes could be distributed or put on notice boards. It was agreed that they should be uploaded to the BRAG website as a suitable place to point plot holders as they are unlikely to read emailed minutes.