The 105th AGM will be held at Church House, Old Main Street, Bingley, on Thursday 1st May, 2025 at 7.30pm. For more details see our ‘Shareholders‘ page.
2025 Newsletter – Click here to download the 2025 newsletter
BONFIRE RULES – 2025
Attitudes and legislation are changing with regards to air quality. We have a responsibility to do the right thing and to try and avoid problems in the future. With this in mind the Board of Directors have decided to continue with the following course of action:
- Implementing a bonfire ban during the summer months (1 April – 1 October 2025)
- Restricting bonfires throughout the rest of the year, in incinerators only.
- Tenants with allotments bordering the main road must not allow smoke to drift on to the road or school premises – if in doubt, do not burn.
These are in addition to the bonfire restrictions already laid out in the Tenancy Agreement (Clause 18).
The only exceptions are:
- Wood burning stoves/hearth fires in sheds/buildings, which are allowed all year round.
- Seasonal Barbecues/Smokery
- Traditional Bonfire Night fires (a few days either side of November 5th, depending when it falls)
- Where diseased plants need to be burnt (with Director’s permission)
In addition we ask all tenants to compost green waste where possible – all plots are big enough to have a composting bin/area. Alternatively, the Council tip on Wagon Lane
takes garden waste.
It is wet, green waste that causes the biggest problem with smoke.
THERE IS NO NEED FOR IT!
All tenants should think carefully before having a bonfire and consider wind direction/speed and the type of materials they are intending to burn.
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RENTS 2024
Victory Over Barclays!
Due to persistence on our part, and with the help of an intervention by our MP, Barclays have completely backed down and re-opened our bank account with no conditions!
This means our 2024 rent letters will go out on 1st February and the payment details will be the same as last year (in fact the same as they have been since 1969 when Barclays bought out Martins Bank…).
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BARCLAYS
A small crumb of comfort is that we are definitely not alone in being treated like this by Barclays. The following links contain striking parallels with our own experience.
https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/23985214.wilsden-church-falls-debt-bank-closes-account/
https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/saving/article-12730797/Why-Barclays-closing-community-bank-accounts-en-masse-parish-councils-choirs-non-profit-groups-debanked.html
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EMAIL & MOBILE PHONE
In 2023 we were able to send out 60 rent bills, newsletters and show schedules by email. That’s 60 out of 108… it saved over £45 on postage but it could be so much better!
If you received your bill by post this year but you have an email address please contact the Secretary on:
Email addresses for as many tenants as possible could save us in the region of 3% of our annual expenditure currently spent on postage costs. It would also provide an effective means of passing on information – AGM, forthcoming events, security alerts, flood warnings, delivery of manure/woodchip etc.
Equally useful would be a mobile phone number – we still have 46 tenants with no mobile number or email on record. We have sent out a note to these tenants with the rent bills
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RIVER BANK – ‘NO BUILD ZONE’, RUBBISH CLEARANCE AND TREE PLANTING
Tenants with plots adjoining the river must not erect any new buildings within 5 metres of the bank – this does not affect sheds/buildings already in this zone.
Further skips will be provided in 2023 to remove rubbish/scrap from along the river bank.
These actions are part of a wider strategy of maintenance along this important area of the site. We have also identified a number of large trees which will require pruning/removing and we will be encouraging the planting of small tree species to fill any gaps, to help with the preservation and stabilisation of the banking.
The risk of further flooding is ever present – all of these actions are intended to help reduce its impact.
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WAITING LIST
We now have an extensive waiting list of people wanting to become tenants. If you have friends or family wishing to be added to the waiting list, please email us at secretary@cbagltd.co.uk
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APPLE JUICE
Over arranged weekends during the autumn of 2025 there will be a number of apple pressing sessions. Tenants will be invited to bring apples to a central point where there will be machinery and equipment in place to produce hundreds of litres of juice. The juice can then be ‘bought back’ at a nominal cost. More details will be given nearer the time.
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APPLE TREE PRUNING
It has been noted that many apple trees on the site are in need of pruning. Many trees have damaged branches or have become too big. During February and March 2025, pruning workshops can be held across the site to help and advise tenants on the best way to improve the health of their apple trees.
Further details will be posted on the notice boards (or emailed out…).
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The Board of Directors
Cottingley Bridge Allotment Gardens Ltd.
1st April 2025