This Newsletter covers the main agenda topics from our 4th Annual General Meeting held on 10th November. They are the Chairman’s report, the statement of Annual Accounts and the election of Directors.
Chairman's Report for 2010
Members
There has been no change in Members. We total 15 local organisations. The full list of Members can be found on the Company’s website at http://www.leatherheadarea.org.uk/.
Projects
High Street/Church Street
The initial discussions reported at last year’s AGM with the District and County Councils to develop a brief for improvements, are coming to fruition in the first round of consultations currently under way. They include a business survey through face to face meetings and a general public questionnaire. To date about 220 had been completed. The on-line questionnaire was linked to the Council’s Viewpoint pages where there was material to support the questionnaire, including a short video presentation on the town.
An exhibition of the results and proposed response will be held in the New Year. Public feedback will be analysed and used in the report to the MVDC Executive and SCC Local Committee. Target completion date is in April.
The Partnership is represented on the Advisory Group, which would meet at the end of November to review stage one and in March before reports go to the Councils.
Public Art Project
A working group of four Directors, led by Di Stirling, facilitated the public consultations on behalf of MVDC. Funds of £49,760 come from Section 106 developer contributions. Community organisations came forward with 26 suggestions for a wide range of art and craft installations in the town. These were displayed In Park House and later in the Swan Centre during the St George’s Day festivities. The preferences and comments were then assessed by a panel of expert judges and community representatives. A combination of ideas incorporating a town gateway feature and replacement traffic barrier in Church Street was the chosen option approved by the Council Executive Committee on 8 June. Detailed design will be finalised when the High Street/Church Street decisions are made.
One other suggestion, made by the Friends of Leatherhead Museum, had been taken up in partnership with the Leatherhead Community Association. They proposed an outreach programme of events, the first of which would be a “Junior Antiques Roadshow” to be held at the Institute on Saturday 27 November.
SEEDA Projects
The project to make the 479 bus route a Quality Bus Corridor Service had implemented the physical facilities – new easy access buses with real time information screens, improved bus stops with six displaying electronically when the next three buses will arrive and some new shelters. Full completion by the issue of new user friendly timetables with route maps had been frustrated by changes of staff at Surrey Passenger Transport Group and the change of an unsatisfactory designer. We hope to have them early next year. Di Stirling has led this project.
The Business Support element of the SEEDA projects, led by John Howarth, had delivered a series of well attended practical seminars in conjunction with Business Link that aimed to assist micro and start up businesses. They far exceeded the number of learning opportunities laid down in the SEEDA contract. Funds were also contributed to support the 3rd Chamber of Commerce “Focus for Growth” conference and the Chamber’s forthcoming Business Awards 2010-2011, successfully launched last year with our help
Other Transport Projects
Di Stirling and Colin Langley have contributed to a series of meetings with Dorking Needs Action, Southern Rail and transport consultancy MVA. They aim to improve services, facilities and integration with bus services. The DNA Director has resigned which has put progress in abeyance. Di Stirling has also chaired meetings with representatives from the four Residents’ Associations, SCC, Buses4U and Dial-a-Ride focussed on improvements and better integration of services. Staff and budgetary constraints impede progress.
Benchmarking
This project to undertake data collection and opinion surveys on 12 Key Performance Indicators that help to assess the relative economic health of the town had recently started. The working group is led by John Hickey, with support from Lucy Hanson and Rod Shaw. The main benefits will come from comparison with some of the other 70 towns now undertaking the same benchmarking process and in future years when this year’s ‘benchmark’ data can be compared to assess the changes achieved and pointers to what can still be improved. Through our membership of Action for Market Towns, we are licenced to use their software programme for the analyses. The limited funding required has been made by MVDC, which will also benefit from information needed in the Council’s Annual Monitoring Report to central government.
Credit Union
This initiative, led by Heather Ward and supported by Hilary Porter, went into partnership with other Surrey communities to launch SurreySave Credit Union. Their business plan is going through the six month long scrutiny by the Financial Services Authority. They hope to publicly launch early next year to provide affordable credit to the estimated 100,000 households under financial pressure as a result of the economic downturn.
Bookham Vision
Through John Howarth we have lent our support to this project which has collected an impressive amount of data and community opinion as the basis for a Village Plan.
Riverside Path
This project was completed last year. It was designed as a dual purpose pedestrian and cyclists’ path. In September a cycle count was made. There were 940 cycle movements past the electronic eye, an average of 31 per day. One count was at 3.00am. At the consultation stage there were concerns that cyclists and pedestrians may clash. No serious incidents have been reported and the surface is in good condition despite several floods.
Future Funding
The company holds unrestricted funds for its administration and operating costs to cover our needs into late next year. To anticipate the need for new funds an application has been made to SCC and approved for £750, thanks to Cllr Tim Hall. An application to MVDC is being processed, with notification scheduled for January 2011.
Looking to the Future
Given that many of the project ideas emanating from the Leatherhead Tomorrow Healthcheck that were deemed feasible have been completed, or in the case of the High street and Church street are in another round of consultation, the Board of Directors is in the process of discussing the company’s future role. This comes at a time when there has been a marked increase in the co-operative efforts of the four Residents’ Associations to address common issues.. We have agreed to organise a focus meeting of the Board to agree its future priorities and direction, followed by a meeting with representatives of all our Member organisations to obtain their support and ideas.
The Chairman thanked the Directors, Company Secretary, Margaret Morton and Rod Shaw for their time, energy and expertise devoted to the Partnership’s affairs. During the year John Howarth stood down from the Board, Di Stirling did so at the AGM and Margaret Morton is retiring from her post at Surrey Community Action. He reminded Members of the many positive contributions Di and John had made since they joined the Healthcheck Steering Group in November 2004. During that time we also had unstinting support and guidance from Margaret in her role as Market Towns Co-ordinator. In appreciation a small gift was presented.
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Annual Statement of Accounts to 31 March 2010
The Company secretary, Paul McWhirter, having distributed the financial report, summarised the status of our two funding streams.
The ‘Unrestricted Funds’, which are used to cover the administration costs of running the Company, showed an expenditure of £973. The main items of expenditure were £202 for web hosting and updates, £169 public liability insurance, £163 AGM costs, £159 subscription to Action for Market towns and £156 for room hire. The balance of these funds at 31 March 2010 was £1,727.
The ‘Restricted Funds’, which are earmarked for specific projects, showed an expenditure of £5,526. The expenditures were £3,500 to support the new Leatherhead Business Awards promoted by the Chamber of Commerce, £1,476 to facilitate a series of business training seminars and £550 as a contribution to the Leatherhead & District Chamber of Commerce ‘Focus for Growth’ conference. The balance of these funds at 31 March 2010 was £1,676. The funds were received from SEEDA and must be utilised in accordance with the terms of the grant for Business Support and Social Enterprise.
The Balance Sheet at 31 March 2010 showed the Company had net assets of £3,403.
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The Board of Directors
One nomination was made for the vacancy created by the resignation of Di Stirling. Tony McCaffry was nominated by Ashtead Residents’ Association and elected to the Board.
Heather Ward, Paula Sabine and Colin Langley retired by rotation in accordance with the Company’s Articles of Association. They were re-elected.
Colin Langley stood down as Chairman. John Hickey was proposed as Chairman and elected to the post. David Smith was elected Deputy Chairman. Colin Langley was thanked for his period in the Chair.
Guest Speaker
Trevor Sokell, project leader for “Bookham Vision”, presented the comprehensive survey and consultation process undertaken which resulted in an impressive proportion of households contributing to the findings. As with the Leatherhead Tomorrow Healthcheck, this will be followed by prioritised action plan proposals. Details can be seen at http://www.bookhamvision.org/ .
The Directors of the Partnership take this opportunity to wish Members a Happy and Prosperous New Year.
John Hickey
Chairman