The Headington & District Allotments Association (HDAA) is affiliated to the Oxford and District Federation of Allotment Associations (ODFAA). HDAA’s function is to coordinate the administration and policies of the allotment sites at John Garne Way and Eden Drive. The sites are owned by Oxford City Council, which levies annual site rents, payable by the association. Up to 4 November 2018, the allotment site at Brasenose Farm was part of the association but, from that date, a separate association has been formed: ‘Brasenose Farm Allotment Association’ (BFA). For the time being any messages received via the contacts form on this web site concerning BFA will be forwarded to the person concerned.
The members of the association are allotment holders (i.e. those who sign up to the association’s rules and have paid their annual plot rents). All members are eligible to attend and vote at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the association. The AGM appoints the officers of the association, namely, the Chair, Secretary and Treasurer and receives reports on and reviews the association’s business and activities.
The day to day business of the association is the responsibility of a committee comprising the three elected officers, the Trustees (see below) and the Field Secretary and other representatives of each site. Field Secretaries are appointed by the members of each site. With the support of a site committee, the Field Secretary is responsible for ensuring that the site is properly maintained, dealing with applications for plots, ensuring that plot rents are paid, etc.
The accounts of the association are to some extent centralised and money has been banked in the association’s accounts. However, following the formation and splitting off from HDAA of the Brasenose Allotment Association from November 2018, it has been agreed that the Eden Drive and John Garne Way sites will continue as a looser association, whereby the financial management and accounting will progressively be devolved to the site level. The Association Committee meets three times each year.
In addition to the above, Oxford City Council requires the association to appoint Trustees, whose primary function is to act for the association as holders of the site leases. For practical purposes, however, it is the Association Committee which is responsible for the orderly management of the three sites.
The rules of the Association may be read or downloaded here.