LLRA’s 2023 AGM was held on Tuesday 13 June 2023, kindly hosted at the Discovery Cafe at St. George’s Hospital. Read 2023 AGM and Community Meeting Minutes.
AGM Summary:
- The LLRA financial report for 2022/23 was presented.
- Ben Hill was elected, and Jackie Ward re-elected to the Management Committee. Current committee consists of 8 residents: Gary Stimson (Chair), Keith Newsome (Vice Chair), Jon Davies (Secretary), Jackie Ward (Treasurer), Jim Hanrahan, Glenn Smith, Nick Wiles, Ben Hill.
- Thanks, and appreciation were given for the contribution and hard work of Emma Olivier Townrow who stood down after first joining the committee in 2017.
Community Meeting Summary:
- A variety of issues important to residents were discussed: including the planned new speed display and the 15-metre high 5G mast planning application.
- There was a brief reminder of the Neighbourhood Plan process. Grant funding, for a professional planning consultant for the 2023/24 year, is likely to open in coming weeks and when this is available further details will be communicated.
- Councillor Neil Murray explained that the city council were working with the Curtis family to achieve their objectives for the former bakery site. The council believes housing is the most suitable use, but any potential development should ideally encompass the whole of the Albion Works into one scheme, to include new facilities for residents such as a shop and a community hub. Timescale for potential development depends on a number of factors but 3-5 years seemed realistic.
- See minutes above for full details of what was discussed.
The minute under Agenda item 8 Open Forum Point G is a somewhat embellished version of what was actually said. More accurately, the guest (me, for the record) asked the chair for a statement on the LLRA’s current stance re. its plan to appropriate allotment land for its ‘community hub’, in the light of the potential development on the Curtis land and beyond. The chair answered (and these are his exact words) that the LLRA was ‘not progressing the allotment plan because it didn’t get approval at the last meeting.’ He went on to state that if anything came up in the neighbourhood plan about there still being a desire for a shop, then options for the site of the shop would be discussed further during the neighbourhood plan consultative process.
I would ask that the committee amend these minutes accordingly so as to more clearly reflect what was actually said. Thank you.
“Hi Jon, as a committee member I value clear and representative minutes as a legal record of what was said. I believe the clear and material difference Ian is pointing out is what was actually said by Gary – “the plan didn’t get approval” – indicating a clear win/lose scenario, whereas your record states what was agreed at the Nov. 22nd committee meeting and appears in those published minutes – that the focus should now move to/back to the neighbourhood plan,
As one myself who campaigned vigorously to save the Allotments from this plan against obstacles that that would crush a better man, I welcome the subtle acknowledgement of victory not for spite, but for affirmation of the enormous support we received in order to save the Allotments. In playground terms – Gary acknowledged that we won.
Hi Ian, did you get a response from the Committee yet? I think the secretary might be on holiday if not as i haven’t had a response to a query of mine.
Let me know if you need help clarifying this.