Hemsworth Town Council currently has 5 allotment sites:
- Wanneville at Fitzwilliam
- Newstead at Fitzwilliam
- West End at Hemsworth
- Grove lane at Hemsworth
- Springfields at Hemsworth
Some of them also cater for horses with the provision of paddocks. The paddocks are always in demand as they were provided by the council to allow residents to enjoy horse ownership at very affordable prices.
Seemingly, like every other area that Independent Hemsworth Town Council controls and looks after, the condition of the sites has deteriorated over the last 3 years.
Independent Hemsworth Town Council even removed the Porta toilets off the sites shortly after taking over in May 2019 to “save” money to enable them to waste it elsewhere, on their own pet projects.
As you would expect, the allotments used to be allocated by waiting list, in the normal way, when a vacancy becomes available, the name at the top of the list was contacted and the plot or paddock allocated if they still wanted it.
However, it appears that the cronyism that has been witnessed in other areas of Independent Hemsworth Town Council business for the last 3 years, has stooped down even to the level of allotments and paddocks.
Ferret has been contacted by a number of residents over the way the allotments and paddocks are being allocated to residents and the way the “manager of everything” Sam Knowles, will select people who are not even on the allotment list, with plots being signed over to “family”, friends and worse still she allows subletting.
The subletting in particular is a very serious issue for a number of reasons:
- The price the council charges for paddocks and allotments is very low, with the true costs being subsidised out of the precept charge, as it is justified as a service to members of this community to help them achieve and maintain horse ownership and have gardens for cultivating.
- Subletting allows unscrupulous people to charge considerably more and those who they are sublet to are often not from this area and deprives our residents of a service we all pay for.
Sam Knowles does not have the authority to “pick and choose” who she wants for tenants and it has been reported that some have 4, 5 and even 6 plots in their names.
Apparently the Town Council is aware of these malpractices and yet takes no action.
Then again when the former Council chair Jim Kenyon attacked a resident on an allotment site with no action being taken against him, why should we expect any change in their standards except forever downwards…
This isn’t right at all Who gave Sam Knowles the authority? Shouldn’t it be the Town Clerks job? Remind me again why he’s paid. No no no subletting of allotments under any circumstances, why is that even being allowed, Also, people out if the areas, no no no. People should be from the HTC area, that’s it!!!
This is even before the removal of toilets. That’s a great idea! So now, people who ate there all day and I can imagine there’s a few, Will still stay all day and their excrement will be staying longer as they will have their own way of getting rid of it. Nice! Well done HTC!!!!! Really they are a joke!