- Mar 27, 2025
Update, as of 30 March 2025: during week commencing 31 March 2025, according to the Head of Parks Services, Merton.
As of 26 March 2025, "in a couple of weeks", according to a senior member of Merton's Park's Team.
These updates were in response to questions asked by plot holders and passed on by the Management Committee.
The Committe is aware that this will be a little later in the season than in recent years. The reason given by Merton for the timing in 2025 is that a plumber must be in attendance to survey the condition of all connections to ensure that the water system does not have any leaks.
- Mar 23, 2025
The John Gray Centre is experiencing electrical problems. The circuit that supplies the sockets in the Centre keeps tripping at the 'fuse' box, even when no heavier-duty appliances are connected.
When it trips, that means the Centre has no hot water urn, kettle, fridge or ability to take card payments in the Shop.
The problem has been reported to Merton by the Management Committee of CPAGA.
We will update this entry if a solution is proposed:
2025-03-24 07-11: Shawn Williams (Customer Services Manager, Public Space) has confirmed that the Committee's email was forwarded to the officer dealing with allotment enquiries.
2025-03-26 16-43: A senior member of Merton's Parks Team reports that somebody had visted the Site on 17 and 20 March 2025. Unfortunately, they would have been thwarted, as they did not advise anybody with access to the John Gray Centre of their visits, despite those contact details having been provided by the Committee previously.
2025-03-27: An electrician visited the Centre, met by a Committee member. Diagnosing a likely fault with fuse No.6 that served the circuit, wired the circuit through fuse No. 7 (and that fuse's circuit, temporarily, through fuse No. 6).
- Nov 13, 2024
Merton has turned off the water supply to the Site. The Site has a single supply for its stand pipes and tanks, its toilets and the kitchen in the John Gray Centre.
Merton Council's published aim for its allotments is to turn off the supply every autumn and turn it on again in the spring. Merton imposes on idverde a contractual duty to take responsibility for management of water at the Site including turning the water off and on to coincide with the growing season and to prevent freezing and burst pipes.
The intention is to protect the exposed parts of the system from the possible effects of icy weather. In practice, this means no water, flushing toilets or kitchen facilities during November to February (Winter).
The Management Committee of CPAGA knows that people visiting the Site during Winter value the availability of flushing toilets. The Committee has explored, through idverde, whether, with the help of volunteers, water can be available during some periods over Winter when the risks from icy weather are remote. However, it appears that is not possible unless those volunteers bear themselves all of the financial consequences if ever the system were damaged.
During periods when flushing toilets are not available, the Committee tries to warn people with notices on the toilets and on its web site.
During periods when the toilets do not flush, the Committee asks that people use a bucket of water from a tank to flush the toilets after use to be considerate of other people.
