MINUTES OF 2007 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
(You can also download these minutes as a Word version –
AGM 2007 Minutes)
Date of meeting – 7.30 p.m. on Thursday the 15th March 2007 at the Ark, Cotham Road South.
John Frenkel chaired the meeting that 38 residents attended. We were pleased to welcome members of the Dove Street Action Group. Andy King sent his apologies for absence due to his attendance at the meeting between the Bristol Communities Planning Network and the City Council to discuss the new Statement of Community Involvement.
Minutes of the 2006 general meeting were approved
.
The report of the past year – Tony Kerr produced a four page summary of the last year’s business, which was circulated at the meeting and posted on www.kingsdownbristol.net. John Frenkel has paper copies of the report at 23 Somerset Street. The report was adopted. The meeting thanked Tony for his work.
The treasurer’s report – Pauline Allen presented the Group’s accounts for the year, which show a surplus of £6,370. There followed a discussion about the part of the surplus hypothecated to the Spring Hill Restoration Fund. Tony Kerr said that the money was originally raised because the City Council lifted KCG’s hopes of match money for this project. Nothing then happened. KCG’s funds were far short of the cost of any significant improvement. Another use for the reserve is to fund tree planting. The City Council says that it will replace the missing tree on the north side of Kingsdown Parade. Last year the City replaced the dead trees outside Prior’s Hill Fort but the new trees died. The Group is again in conversation with the City to plant new trees on this important corner. Other proposals are to replace the dead cherry trees on the west side of Spring Hill, just below Dove Street and/or a replacement barrier at the junction of Spring Hill and Somerset Street. Do you have any proposals to use this fund to enhance the conservation area? The report was adopted. The meeting thanked Pauline for her work.
Membership. The committee posted leaflets to Kingsdown residents last autumn to recruit more members. The leaflet contained Penny Mellor’s “Brief History of Kingsdown”, which includes a number of attractive line drawings. If you care about Kingsdown, join the group. It only costs £5. The more members we have, the more we are listened to.
· Look at the website so you know what’s going on.
· Give the secretary your email address so that you can receive the monthly email update.
· Offer your skills, time, and knowledge – as much or as little as you like. All you need to be is interested in the area.
· Tell us your views on local developments and what we should be doing.
The secretary’s email address is – se*******@di*******.net.
The 2007/08 committee
Pauline Allen (treasurer), John Frenkel (minutes), Tony Kerr, Nick Kidwell, Andy King, Jeremy Newick (Conservation Advisory Panel representative), Helen Phillips (secretary), Nigel Tasker and Mary Wright retired and offered themselves for re-election. The meeting unanimously re-elected the committee. Bridget and Malcolm Parker did not offer themselves for re-election. The meeting thanked them for their work. They agreed to continue as membership secretaries. Committee Members’ details appear on the KCG website, www.kingsdownbristol.net.
The committee emphasise that any member who wishes to come to a committee meeting is welcome. The Group needs more committee members to share the work.
The formal meeting then closed to be followed by Mike Hooper’s talk on “Broadmead, Before the Shops”. Mike’s photographic archive was truly astonishing. He started with aerial views of the Broadmead area taken shortly after the blitz. He then brought us down to earth with an east west and then a north south walk through the area. The photographs caused conflicting impressions. Parts of the area appeared almost irredeemable slummy but, many fine buildings survived the blitz only to be demolished in the name of improvement. It is sad to think that the improvements, however misguided, were carried out with the best of intentions. Mike’s book “Broadmead”, one of the Images of England series, is published by Tempus Publishing Limited www.tempus-publishing.com.
