(i) To answer questions from members of the public pursuant to Procedure Rule No. 10.
(ii) To answer questions from members of the Council pursuant to Procedure Rule No. 11
Minutes:
QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL NO.1
Under Procedure Rule No 11, Councillor C Cooke will ask the Portfolio Holder for Corporate Services and Assets, the following question:-
"In January 2010 Tamworth Council was asked for information under a freedom of information request regarding the number of allotment sites and plots in Tamworth and the state of the waiting lists. The reply from Tamworth's information officer on 19th January 2010 was that the information was not available to the Council as the Council leased out this land.
Could the portfolio holder explain to me how the Council can fulfil its legal obligations under the Section 23 of the Small Holdings and Allotments Act 1908 to provide sufficient allotments sites within Tamworth if, by leasing out the land, it also fails to retain responsibilityfor monitoring and assessing the relevant information?"
The Portfolio Holder for Corporate Services and Assets gave the following reply:
The Tamworth Allotment & Leisure Gardeners Association can at any time request the council seek to make provision for more allotment space. While many members, myself included, have had informal approaches from the public for more allotment space, no official request to increase allotment space have been received by the council from any person, group or organisation.
Local allotment associations running allotments is a good example of the “big Society” in action, and those who use them are best placed to manage the service.
Should you feel the desire to make representation to the Tamworth Allotment & Leisure Gardeners Association you can contact them by writing to
The Tamworth Allotment & Leisure
Gardeners Association
Lichfield Road
Tamworth
Staffordshire
B79 7DE
Or by calling 01827 61792
However I will remind you that this council is a proactive council and it has just recently brought some disused allotment space in Glascote back into use. The council is also actively looking at other spaces in the Borough that might be suitable for increased allotment provision.
This is something we are doing in partnership with the Tamworth Allotment & Leisure Gardeners Association.
Supplementary Question
I am aware that the Tamworth Allotment Association currently has a waiting list. Could you look into this matter?
Councillor R Pritchard gave the following reply:
A Tamworth Borough Council officer has been in touch and there has been no official request for more allotment space.
QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL NO.2
Under Procedure Rule No 11, Councillor C Cooke will ask the Portfolio Holder for Corporate Services and Assets, the following question:-
"Will the portfolio holder advise me of the total number of commercial properties owned by Tamworth Borough Council throughout the Borough and the percentage of those properties that are currently classed as unoccupied for whatever reason?"
The Portfolio Holder for Corporate Services and Assets gave the following reply:
There are 66 commercial properties throughout the borough. 5 are currently void, however 3 of the void 5 are under offer. 2 of which already have agreed terms.
If the third has agreed terms, and along with the two other properties is subsequently let, the Borough Council will have just 2 empty commercial properties in the whole borough.
The Borough Council currently classes just 8% of commercial properties as being empty.