Town Council to consider taking on running of allotments

Wilmslow Town Council is going to decide whether to take on responsibility for allotments in the new year.

Cheshire East Council has agreed to transfer two allotment sites to Wilmslow Town Council for a nominal fee of £1.

It has previously been agreed that allotments throughout Cheshire East will be transferred by way of 125 year leases, however CEC has agreed to transfer the Land Lane and Cliff Road allotments by way of a freehold to Wilmslow Town Council.

In September 2011 it was decided by the Cabinet that a number of properties should be transferred to the town or parish council for the area in which the properties are located as a first phase of the Local Service Delivery -Transfer and Devolutions to Town and Parish Councils process.

These two allotment sites were not included in that decision because Wilmslow Town Council was only created in May 2011 as a result of a formal Community Governance Review Process.

As Wilmslow Town Council has been created by an Order, then the allotments are already vested in the Town Council by virtue of The Local Government (Parishes and Parish Councils) (England) Regulations 2008 - as one of the regulations states that the freehold of allotment sites would vest automatically once a new parish or town council is created.

Cheshire East Council therefore agreed to deal with these by way of a freehold transfer to enable any existing or required rights to be retained.

Town Clerk Matthew Jackson said "I have got the proposed transfer terms through from CEC now, however they arrived too late to be considered by the Town Council tonight (Monday, 21st December).

"The Town Council has always said that they needed to consider the terms prior to deciding to take the two allotment sites on and will now consider doing so at the January meeting.

"Reg 9 of SI 2008 No 625, the Local Government (Parishes and Parish Councils) (England) Regulations 2008 says that the land transfer should be in line with the principle council's interest ( in these cases freehold). This legislation only relates to Councils formed since 2008."

Matthew added "I can't prejudge the Council decision on this matter but we are now in a position to progress to council."

If the allotments are transferred, then all repair, maintenance, utility and rates will become the responsibility of the Town Council.