Minutes of the Retford Civic Society Annual General Meeting Held on 15 July 2015 at Grove

MINUTES OF THE RETFORD CIVIC SOCIETY ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING HELD ON 15th JULY 2015 AT GROVE STREET METHODIST CHURCH HALL

Present:

Derek Turner (Chair), Bruce Barnett, Pat Barnett, Pam Barnsdale, Simon Holdaway, Tina Jones, Barrie King, Bob Lamb, Drew Smith, Joan Turner, Rob White, and over 50 members and non-members.

Apologies: P.Moult, H.Holdaway, G. and S.Johnston, S.Hempsall, J.Williamson, Mr and Mrs M. Barker, Y.Jones, J.King, M.Allan, J.M.Jones, C.Rooke, D.Pickles, Mr and Mrs Pickersgill, J. Dawson.

Minutes of the AGM 2013(not available 2014): proposed by R.Jones, seconded by B.Cane, accepted.

Minutes of the AGM 2014: with the following additions to item 5 – “current balance is £12,114.93”, and “£400…Gift Aid” – proposed by E.Davis, seconded by A.Sumner, accepted.

Matters arising:

(i)2013: St Alban’s Church was being marketed by Brown and Co.

(ii)2014: (a) Car-parking at the Leisure Centre – no movement.

(b) Laurie Hudson bequest – £1,000 received, use being

considered.

Chairman’s Report:

Derek Turner spoke about the previous year and the work done and support given by RCS to preserve our heritage and improve our town. Among the projects he commended were the White Hart, Spencer’s Restaurant and Bar, King Edward VI School, The Hub (the new TIC). RCS is still involved with restoration at St Swithun’s, where the 2nd stage of work on the roof has been completed. RCS has offered financial and practical support to Grove Street Methodist Church, which has problems with ceiling bosses. There are two buildings (Beardsall’s Row and St Alban’s Church) which are still major concerns.

The 7th Heritage Open Day in September, with the theme “Life Prior to WWI”, was very successful. This year, on 12th September, the theme will be “History of Entertainment”.

Retford-in-Bloom was also a success, particularly the potato-growing competition (initiated by Alan Laurie), in which 10 schools took part. The sub-committee, led by Adrian Sumner, encouraged local businesses to take up all the hanging baskets available from BDC. Pam Barnsdale has negotiated a new scheme with Continental Landscapes for 2015, sponsored by the Business Forum and supported by RCS, to provide flags, hanging baskets and Christmas trees at a subsidised cost. Pam also negotiated for Community Payback Teams to tidy up areas along Arlington Way.

RCS was given over £17,667.78 by the Trust which initially ran the CCTV system, and the following grants have been made: £4,152 for CCTV and alarm security at The Hub ; £4,000 to the Street Pastors to support their work; installing a defibrillator in the Town Centre is being investigated. More suggestions welcomed.

RCS was involved in consultations with a representative of the Prince’s Regeneration Trust, and will be looking closely at the final report, which has just been received.

RCS website and Facebook page are up and running, thanks to Barrie King.

RCS will be 25 years old on 26th November this year. Among special events: in June, children from local primary schools were received in the Council Chamber and then RCS members took them on the Young Person’s Heritage Trail; a celebratory Anniversary Lunch is planned for 22nd November.

[This is an abbreviated version. The full report is available, and will be included and expanded, as usual, in the next Newsletter.]

Treasurer’s Report:

Bruce Barnett reported that there was about £28,000 in the bank. £1,000 had been received from Retford Business Forum for landscaping round Arlington Way (in partnership with BDC); over £17,000 had come from the CCTV Trust, as mentioned in the Chairman’s Report, to be spent on safety and security in the town. Money had been spent on reprinting the Young Person’s Heritage Trail leaflet, and on reglazing the Spa Lane noticeboard.

Election of Committee Members and Officers:

The present Committee was prepared to stand en masse, and there being no other nominations, were proposed by E.Brown, seconded by L.Sumner, and accepted unanimously.

Planning:

(i) Robert Lamb reported that planning applications were being monitored and responded to when necessary.

(ii) There had been a useful liaison meeting with Councillor Jo White, i/c Planning, in order to develop a mutual understanding.

(iii) Developments on North Road on Trinity Hospital land – industrial (150-170 jobs) and residential.

(iv) Café culture expanding: Clockwork Molly’s (at the White Hart), Spencer’s (on which £850,000 had been spent), Istanbul (on Carolgate Bridge), Opera Tea-rooms (new location), KH Sports (Bridgegate).

(v) MyGym had opened on the Phoenix site.

(vi) Concerns were St Alban’s and Beardsall’s Row, and the Committee was actively seeking ways to resolve these problems.

(vii) Applications now being looked at included the old Cycle Warehouse (6 apartments), the building next to Poplar House on Grove Street (archway to be enclosed, car-park behind – RCS objected to UPVC windows as part of the building is listed, but approved the suggested access/exit to car-park).

(viii) Question about the Clumber Street building.

(ix) Question about the proposed factory (see (iii)) – Fisher-German keeping us informed. Roadworks would be needed. No application as yet.

(x) Question about green signage on charity shop in the Market Square –BB explained the situation about size, and that no consent was needed if not illuminated.

Any Other Business:

(i)Joan Turner outlined forthcoming visits – London (16/17th August); Pilgrim Fathers tour (22nd July) full; visit to Castle Howard – Wednesday, 25th November (form with News-sheet in Sept).

(ii) Anniversary meal Sunday 22nd Nov – booking now (JT to receive forms by 31st Aug.)

Refreshments

Talk by Freddie Gick, National Chairman of Civic Voice

First of all, Freddie complimented the Chairman’s report, part of which he had heard, and was impressed at the numbers attending.

About 500 Civic Societies belonged to Civic Voice, giving a combined membership of 150,000. He explained that each Civic Society was autonomous, but being together in CV had great advantages. Not least was having influence nationally. National lobbying included being part of the Community Partnership Board and attending Select Committees. He had, for instance, been in a meeting that day and was returning for another meeting the next day. CV was being listened to.

Some of the other work now being done was outlined. CV was building an archive, and hoping to collect archives of all civic societies, the first of which had been Sidmouth in 1846. CV itself had started in 1956 and was known as the Civic Trust. Other projects were a survey of war memorials, listing of Assets of Community Value, and a National Design Award.

Looking to the future, he said that concerns for civic societies were how to attract new members, how to be proactive, and how to get things done; concerns for Civic Voice included finding new trustees (CV constitution limits tenure) and reviewing finances.

In answer to a question about how villages could become involved in the movement, he mentioned the Localism Alliance, in which various organisations, eg CAMRA, worked together, led by CC.

Date of next Open Meeting:

Wednesday 28th October 2015