Allotment Reserve Fund

The ‘Allotment Reserve’ is a Lancaster City Council budget for allotments owned by the City Council. The Allotment Reserve Fund helps pay for initiatives that develop allotments as community resources.

What kind of projects will the Allotment Reserve Fund support?

For 2009/10 the priorities will be as follows:

• Improvements to the lines of communication between Lancaster City Council, ALMA, Allotment Associations and allotment holders e.g. site notice boards, allotment newsletters
• Conservation of natural resources e.g. water saving initiatives, composting stations or onsite recycling initiatives
• Developing the sites as community resources e.g. converting full plots into half plots or extending the site

What projects will the Allotment Reserve Fund NOT support?

• The general maintenance and running of allotment sites as covered by the lease agreement between the City Council and the Allotment Associations - including boundary fences, gates, access routes, skips / rubbish removal / flytipped rubbish
• Insurance of the sites – Allotment Associations should provide Public Liability insurance
• Water rates – but implementing water saving initiatives (as above) will help reduce water bills
• Pest control
• Clearing overgrown / unlet plots – but sheets of heavy duty black plastic can be provided free
• Smaller projects (less than £500) that meet Green Partnership Awards criteria

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How to apply for Allotment Reserve Funding

 

STEP 1 – Initial discussion of the proposal

You may wish to discuss the proposal with Jill Wesolowski at Lancaster City Council, who may be able to suggest other funding sources for your project or visit your allotment before submitting your formal request for funding. For contact information see the bar at the bottom of the page.

STEP 2 – Applying for funding

Please download an Application Form using the link to the right of this page.

Allotment Associations can apply for up to £1,500 for small projects. Alternatively, Associations can apply for match funding between £1,501 and £2,000 towards larger projects.

A maximum of £2,000 can be applied for by an Allotment Association in a financial year.

If match funding is required, you will be asked to indicate how any Allotment Reserve Fund monies will be matched on your Application Form.

Please note that all approved applications should be claimed for within the financial year the approval is issued. If this is not done, the claim will roll-over and be taken from the following financial year's allowance for the Allotment Association (£2,000 as detailed above).

The Application Form must be completed by the Secretary of the Allotment Association and sent to sustainability@lancaster.gov.uk or by post to Corporate Strategy, c/o Lancaster Town Hall, Dalton Square, Lancaster LA1 1PJ.

STEP 3 - How will a decision be made

Your project will be assessed by the Sustainability Team within Lancaster City Council's Corporate Strategy. A site visit may be necessary if one has not already been done as part of STEP 1.

You will receive a letter or email to inform you of whether or not your request for funding has been successful.

STEP 4 - Claiming the funding

Please download a Claim Form using the link to the right of this page.

All invoices should be addressed to the grant claimant i.e. the Allotment Association (and NOT to Lancaster City Council). The Allotment Association should pay the invoices directly to the supplier or contractor.

To claim the approved funding from Lancaster City Council the Claim Form must be completed by the Treasurer of the Allotment Association and sent, along with copy invoices and proof of payment (e.g. a copy of your bank statement or a printout from your accounts system) to sustainability@lancaster.gov.uk or by post to Corporate Strategy, c/o Lancaster Town Hall, Dalton Square, Lancaster LA1 1PJ.

If the Allotment Association is VAT registered, as indicated on the Claim Form, invoices included in the grant claim will be paid net of any VAT (the VAT element of the invoice should be recovered by the Allotment Association from HM Customs & Excise). If the Allotment Association is not VAT registered invoices included in the grant claim will be paid gross of VAT.

If the Allotment Association is claiming for match-funding they must also provide the most recent Allotment Association bank statement/account printout as proof that the Allotment Reserve Fund contribution can be matched.

If the Allotment Association is not able to pay an invoice up front, they should advise this in the appropriate section of the Application Form, requesting an LCC Urgent Advance. In this case, an alternative Claim Form will be supplied when the approval of the application is sent out. An LCC Urgent Advance can only be claimed in extreme circumstances and requires the submission of unpaid invoices to Lancaster City Council. The Allotment Association must submit the proof of invoice payment within the financial year of the claim (e.g. copy of their bank statement or a printout of their accounts system).

STEP 5 – Payment

Payment will be made by BACS directly into the Allotment Association's bank account.