AGM Report
Minutes of the 2010 AGM
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT: Barry Judd thanked the retiring Committee members Anne Littleton (Vice chairman, and Chair of the Health Panel and Education committee) and Peter White (Joint Chairman of the Planning Panel) for years of service to the Society. He welcomed newest Committee member Maggie Alderman who is now heading up the new Marketing Panel. He confirmed that Carolyn Pennycook had retired as newsletter editor and thanked her for her tireless work in this role on top of serving as Secretary. Because a new editor has not yet been appointed, the Summer edition of the newsletter will be delayed.
This year’s Summer Party, once again courtesy of Anne and Ray Lindsay at their home “SpIash", will be on June 27. Our Patron Michael Aspel expects to attend and the proceeds of the draw will go to Sam Beare Hospice. He read out a letter from Marion Newitt, the Sam Beare fundraiser who was unable to attend, thanking the Society for all its support. He said it is the Committees intention, subject to members’ wishes, to continue to support Sam Beare as the Society’s principal charity and this met with general assent.
The main event of the past year was the Town Forum in July, attended by 350-400 people including councillors and our MP. It enabled the Committee to present strong and representative comments on the Local Development Framework Core Strategy to the Council. A further hearing would take place later this year and the Society would be represented. Thanks were due to many people for their efforts on the Forum, particularly Geoff Banks, Tony Palmer, Raymond Spary, Carolyn Pennycook, Anne Littleton, Peter Vey and Joe Hall. He congratulated Steve McCarthy on the success of the website.
Following the demise of the Civic Trust, the Society is debating whether to join a successor organisation, Civic Voice. At a proposed capitation fee of £1.50, capped at £500, this was a large budget item to be decided. He thanked Joe Hall and members of the Transport Panel for their work, particularly on traffic and on leading the move to reduce the period of closure of Seven Hills Road. Raymond Spary was thanked for his work on assessing Lower Thames flood risk and on gravel raising at Hamm Count. Following last year’s contact with Elmbridge on daffodils on Heath Road, he and the Pennycooks had made a survey of blind bulbs and the Council had assessed a need for 12,500 bulbs which, with planting, would cost £2,500, a sum the Committee is now considering.
TREASURER’S REPORT: Andrew Davis said Martin Mitchell, our auditor of ten years wished to retire from that post. He invited questions on the circulated accounts. Tony Gorton queried the jump in Events costs. Andrew said this was entirely due to the Town Forum. An encouraging revenue feature was the increase in average subscription paid by members over the past ten years. On the move to turn the Society into a charity, he pointed out the awaited legislation expected to facilitate this had not been presented to Parliament and would now have to wait until after the election. He felt a £200 charitable donation by the richest town in Surrey was a poor performance. To replace our auditor, member Jon Tait had agreed to become our independent examiner. This appointment was pro-posed by Raymond Spary, seconded by Peter Vey and carried unanimously.
MEMBERSHIP: This now stands at 611, a record, and is under-pinned by growth in the moving average. Annual subscription now averages £8 per member.
TRANSPORT: Joe Hall introduced a report by Tony Palmer with slide presentation. He said Weybridge’s transport infrastructure had not kept pace with the coming of the railway in 1840 and the subsequent growth in car traffic. The Panel is calling for Councils to have a better vision as there are gaps in the current strategy. These are safety, speed, HGV traffic and improved facilities for walking, cycling and parking. Integration of all these was important. The Panel is focussing on (1, reducing speed on residential roads, (2) Facilities for cyclists. (3) Improving road safety near the station. (4) Parking. On (1). he proposed we support Drive Smart and secure 20mph limits on all residential roads; London has 400 such. They are proved to cut death and injury by 50% against 30mph. Surrey’s policy is to do nothing on this front. On (2) There are few facilities for cyclists. It must be made safe and convenient for them to use continuous routes across town and between schools and Brooklands, also to nearby towns and commons. On (3). The station is a strategic hub in Weybridge, though there had originally been no intention to have a station here. The roads round it have changed little since it was built, but the Panel has a plan for this, which would also give more open space. On (4). We must provide for legitimate parking and need a strategic solution to the present problem in residential areas and around the station. Parking in residential streets should be maximised for residents. The Core Strategy is inadequate on how transport.infrastructure needs updating before new housing is built. When road markings are renewed cycle markings should be added. An integrated approach generally is needed as the benefits of 20mph limits are felt by the NHS, but costs are borne by the councils. The Panel has started consultation on a local transport plan and. will engage with councillors, the railways and British Airports Authority, as Airtrack should start at Weybridge. A questioner challenged the benefits of 20mph limits. Andrew Davis said they helped reduce the perception of danger for cyclists. The questioner countered that the police do nothing to enforce existing limits. Peter Vey asked if the Panel had consulted Surrey police who spend £1m a year combating speeding. He cited Community Speedwatch. The questioner said they should consult the people of Weybridge first. Peter Vey cited the path between the station and the school; it was a problem that the heathland was the responsibility of the borough council but the roads of the county. A further questioner queried the lack of policy for motorbikes, which abuse the roads; she agreed with the 20mph limit but expected no reduction in motorbike noise. Barry Judd added members had no idea of the amount of work that had gone into the Transport Panel report.
THAMES RIVERSIDE FESTIVAL: James Bell gave an overview of the changes being made on the river bank at Weybridge with new moorings and disabled access to them and the ferryboat. Tony Davis, who was prevented from flying back by Icelandic volcanic ash, had started the process with Thames GateWey. The aim of the Festival was to draw attention, to the improvements and raise profits for the benefit of Sam Beare hospice. The Society is highly supportive of the organisers of the occasion which includes unveiling a suitable sculpture. It would be held on September 4 and Cobham Bus Museum would support moving people to and from the event in two buses. The event would have stands and entertainment and would need marshals and sponsors, which he hoped would come from within the Society.
Derek Lindfield introduced Johnston Simpson who was our original source in the UK of the Zimbabwean sculpture. He explained the importance of such sculptures to an HIV-positive com munity to which our sculptor, Godfrey Williams belonged. The material is springstone. Peter Vey asked how much it had cost and was informed £500, but it will cost a further £2500 for a plinth and the secure erection of the whole. This amount concerned members and the Committee will be considering ways of spreading or sharing this. A leaving collection was taken towards it.
PLANNING PANEL REPORT: Raymond Spary said the Society is very concerned about the Core Strategy document which contains a lot of words that say little. An example of its inaccuracy is provision for 35 new houses in Churchfields Avenue out of the 900 planned for Weybridge. The Strategy even claims that Weybridge and Walton are sustainable locations for new housing. l\/lr. Westwood asked about rumoured moves for development on Oatlands Mere. Raymond Spary said there are no applications for development at Mere Farm by the Broadwater lake; it is Green Belt land. There is a restriction on all building there, not least because of the view over the floodplain from the rear of Oatlands Park Hotel.
EDUCATION COMMITTEE: Anne Littleton reported that analysis of questionnaires completed at the Town Forum showed concern that local schools are full, as well as over access to Heathside. Following her retirement from the Committee, Derek Lindfield will chair the Education committee.
ELECTION OF MAIN COMMITTEE: All the existing members (apart from those retiring) being willing to stand, it was proposed by Peter Vey and seconded by Jon Tait that they be re-elected en bloc. This was passed unanimously. Barry Davies proposed a vote of thanks to Carolyn Pennycook for her years of work as editor of the newsletter which was greeted with enthusiastic applause.
