Notes of LAiP meeting held on Wednesday, 20th July 2011, 1830 at Nass Lane Community Centre, Lydney
Item 1
Present – Derek Biddle [DB], Bill Hobman [BH], Bob Waters [BW], Roger Vectus [RV], Jim Simpson [JS], Eric Witheridge [EW], Hester Joubert [HJ] Bob Turner [BT]
Apologies – Val Hobman, Simon Richards, Terry Glastonbury, Harold Symonds, David Cooksley
Item 2 Minutes from 20/04/11.
Eric Witheridge attended the meeting but his name was omitted from the notes and has now been corrected. Acceptance of the notes was proposed by Derek Biddle and seconded by Bob Watters and agreed unanimously and signed accordingly
Item 3 Matters Arising
There has been an exchange of emails about increase usage of trains and an update will be provided at a subsequent meeting when those involved are available to comment. There is a proposal to site a booking office franchise at Lydney station possible manned by Dean Forest Railway similar to the one operating at Chepstow. A second survey on passenger numbers is due to be undertaken in September. A deputation from Newnham wish to develop Fairtrade status in partnership with Lydney and have written to the Town Council. Joy Simpson is leading on behalf of Lydney. BW thanked BH for attending heritage consultation meeting where his presentation was very well received. BH outlined amendments to the Constitution to be ratified at the AGM. These are summarised below and subject to further discussion
Rule 4 Registered office currently Town Hall Chambers possibly change to Naas Lane
Rule 7 LAiP does not have a physical presence at the Town Hall so documents that should be stored in a register are not. This needs to change to be amended to a more suitable location or at a new registered office as suggested above
Rule 14 Agreed that no change is required
Rule 15 Email as a communication method to be added
Rule 16 Email as a communication method to be added
Rule 18(b) In respect of decisions exclusively for Landfill Tax Credit Scheme’s (LTCS) resulting in a tied vote the Chair is entitled to a second or casting vote. This is inconsistent with other general meeting decisions where the chair does not have a casting vote (Rule 28). This anomaly has occurred following a change in rules when LAiP was registered as a environmental trust and was probably overlooked when that rule change was adopted at the 2006 AGM
Rule 18 (c) As (b) above but if the chair is a Local Authority Rep then an independent member has the second on casting vote
Rule 22 Vice Chair to be added (if the position of a Vice Chair is approved at the AGM – see Amended Rule 40)
Rule 28 Contradiction with Rule 18 described above. Rule 18 has to remain as it is a condition of registration as an environmental trust. The AGM has to decide if there are any overriding principles that prevent general meeting tied vote decisions following the process for LTCS tied vote decision.
Rule 32 Currently all members of the Board retire annually although only one half are required to do so. This is probably a procedural issue rather than a rule change requirement
Rule 34 Wording on co-option of members to fill a Board vacancy to be reviewed to clarify that the number of co opted members can be up to 12 as an overriding principle to the actual number elected at an AGM
Rule 40 Add Vice Chair (this resolution should be taken in the first instance. If approved it drives amendment of other rules. See listing in this document)
Rule 45 This states that a quorum for COMMITTEE meetings shall be 50% or 3 members whichever is the greater. Rule 20 states that a quorum for GENERAL meetings should be 10% or 3 members whichever is greater. AGM to decide if rules on a quorum for General and Committee meetings should be the same.
Rule 46 Add Vice Chair (if amendment to rule 40 approved by AGM). The new final line in the draft “A Honorary secretary can be paid as a committee member” is out of context within this rule and is already provided for under Rule 40
Rule 48 This rule does not allow the chair a second on casting vote in the event of a tie in a COMMITTEE MEETING decision. Rule 18 does allow the chair a second or casting vote in the event of a tie in a GENERAL MEETING. AGM to decide if rules on a second or casting vote for General and Committee meetings should be the same.
Rule 55 Copy of balance sheet on display in registered office dependent. No change in rule just a compliance issue
Rule 58 Custody of a SEAL. Unlikely that we ever had one but needs to be checked out if we have contact details – perhaps the lady from co-op who helped with inauguration and was Chairman before Derek or Sheila Berryman or the co-ordinator who moved to Ross – sorry forget their names
Typing and grammer to be corrected throughout the document
Item 4 Lydney Docks Café / Toilets & Swing Bridge/Canal Dredging
Café/Toilets. Some objections have been received from Yacht Club members about the development and a meeting has been arranged for members to debate options on Saturday 23rd July 11. Funding for the development of the Business Plan has been suspended pending the outcome of a Yacht Club EGM in August. The investment based on the current plan is £300k. Match funding is being sourced from the Environment Agency and other organisations. The project will provide public access to café and toilet facilities including access to the café for private hire.
Swingbridge and Canal Dredging. Work is to commence soon to bring the swingbridge back into action with the help from volunteers. As part of this development the canal is to be dredged from the swingbridge to the former town dock (behind Whitehouse Press) to provide new boat moorings. Only the top layer of the canal will be dredged leaving minimal levels of contamination on the bed undisturbed.
Item 5 Lydney Area Action Plan
Community consultation has held in several venues in Lydney with varying level of attendance. A model of the town was used and residents put flags into the locations with ideas to improve social, environmental and economic elements for the town. Improvement to the docks and especially a need for a café and toilets was well supported.
Item 6 Hydro Group
The Stage 1 study has been completed and revealed a 4% return on capital which is just viable but hope of funding from the Local Action Group and will improve the justification for investment. It would be beneficial if work could be done to the old stone dam and to recreate the millpond as part of project if funding can be secured. However, the hydro project can go ahead without the millpond. Some of the stonework will need to be included and survey work is to be undertaken. The main bid application needs to be submitted as soon as possible to the LAG. Funding, likely to be around £133k must be spent by Dec 2013. Quotations from Mann Power for the Stage 2 study are ongoing.
Item 7 Naas Lane building
A joint but independent bid has been made for the site between “Friends of Naas Lane” and Sea Cadets with “Friends of Naas Lane” taking the lease with Town Council support which will enable a bid to be considered for running costs as part of the precept. “Friends” will occupy the main buildings and the Sea Cadets the lower buildings. The lease will be issued with a 3 month surrender clause so that if maintenance or general operating cost become uneconomic there will be no liability on the “Friends” to continue. It will take a lot of effort from volunteers to make this a viable proposition but taking the Bathurst Pool as an example it can be done.
Item 8 Lydney Railway Station User Group
A meeting is to be held at Shire Hall on 11th August arranged by David Flint to press for permanent improvements to the service and facilities and will be attended by Bob Turner representing LAiP
Item 9 Lydney Emergency Plan
David Cooksley has arranged a series of meetings to develop an Emergency Plan but attendance has been poor. Other towns and parishes have experienced a similar poor response from within their communities. Groups around the District are now planning to meet to compare plans and to investigate how to develop join working opportunities. The Lydney contingency plans will address Flooding which is probably the major issue, Large Fires, and extreme weather related emergencies and Health pandemics
Item 10 Treasurers Report
Currently we have £1,921.76 in the bank. We made a small surplus this year and incurred £20 tax. The partnership is looking into the potential to apply for charitable status which could provide a tax benefit especially if we do have larger amounts of funding going through the accounts. Our only current income is from the Lydney Walks Book which are selling slowly but we have only 10 left in stock. The Partnership has acted as the conduit for funding to the Rec Trust for the Multi Ball park. We plan to do more to promote LAiP’s registration with ENTRUST as it is a possible cash source for direct or match funding.
Date of AGM
The next meeting will be the AGM and will be held on Wednesday 21st September 2011 in Naas Lane Community Centre at 1830.
