Annual Trustees report for 2006 - 2007

This year has been exceptional for the major issues we have become involved in - NET Phase 2, Beeston Town Centre Plan, Broadgate Recreation Ground artworks and the Heritage White Paper to name but a few. We have set up sub committees to deal with some of these and we have therefore had more meetings than usual, so yet again I have to thank all who have hosted our meetings and supplied us with much needed refreshment!

Heritage Open Days:

The reporting year started with another successful Heritage Open Days event and we have to thank Mick and Eileen Atherton for organising the event again, Barbara Selwood for obtaining funding and Sheila Eden of the Beeston Express for the excellent publicity.

Public consultations and White Paper:

  1. NET Phase 2 has taken up a lot of our time and effort. The NET inquiry starts on November 6th and that will keep some of us occupied for some time. We have made two detailed responses, both summarised and published in the last Newsletter, but we decided that it is not necessary for us to speak at the inquiry; we will rely on our written submissions.
  2. We have also made a detailed response to the Town Centre Plan, only recently released for public response, and we trust that many others have done the same, making their wishes known to the council. It is, after all, our town and our wishes that should count. For both of these matters we convened separate sub-committees; these issues are too important and time consuming to be dealt with at normal committee meetings.
  3. Robin Phillips responded to the government White Paper on Heritage Protection on our behalf and we are very grateful for that!

Planning:

The planning sub committee continues to meet regularly and deals with most applications on our behalf. We have discussed and made comments on many planning issues including:

  1. The new fire station on Hassocks Lane,
  2. Lidl's proposed new supermarket on Wollaton Road,
  3. Plans for mixed commercial and residential use at the former Long Eaton Fabric factory on Byepass Road (appeal result pending),
  4. The Siemen's site (formerly Plessey), and
  5. 45 Bramcote Avenue - the old cattery - where it is proposed to build 4 or 5 new houses.
  6. Plans have been submitted re Attenborough Flood Defences, no decision yet reached, and we made no formal representations on this, although we were involved in the steering group, which looked at the options.
  7. We have bemoaned, in writing, the loss of so many shop premises in Beeston.
  8. This year we have also sent a letter of congratulation to the New Conservative Club on their excellent conversion of the old Bostock (formerly Foster & Pearson), premises on Station Road, Beeston.

Local involvement:

  1. Barbara Selwood and Dr. Peter Robinson continue to attend meetings of Beeston Business Forum every month and this year we have worked with them, and others, on the commissioning of the artwork sculptures now in situ at Broadgate recreation Ground.
  2. The Boer War Memorial was re-sited in the park earlier in the year and the whole area of Broadgate now has a new updated appearance. The Society was represented, by invitation, at both these events.
  3. We have plans to plant trees in this park later on November 21st at 10.30 a.m.
  4. We donated and planted 3 red oak trees in the University Park last November, with the help of local nursery school children and John Stirland, the local gardening expert; these trees are doing well we understand.
  5. We are attempting to stir up interest in renovating the Weir Cottages by the lock at Beeston and we have applied for various funding. British Waterways are with us in this venture, but it could be a huge project for us. We have recently heard that funding from East Midlands Development Association will not be forthcoming.
  6. The outcome of our application for a conservation area at Grove Avenue/Park Road, Chilwell is not yet settled and it is dragging on - for almost 2 years now. It has become a question of hanging in there and not giving up!
  7. We have welcomed the attempts made locally (particularly in Chilwell) to clean up graffiti and hope to see more disappearing in other areas.
  8. The Beeston Carnival was almost a wash-out again this year, we had hoped to be involved, indeed some of us had worked hard at our display, but we decided not to risk damaging our borrowed display boards.

Society business:

  1. We were extremely disappointed to have to cancel the trip to York arranged by Mick Atherton; any further ideas for outings will be considered, but only if there is sufficient interest to make preliminary enquiries.
  2. Robin Phillips has conducted three successful Heritage Walks this year - our thanks to him for taking on yet another task!
  3. The Heritage Trail booklet has been re-printed for the second time, thanks again to Robin and Dr. Stephen Wallwork.
  4. Dave Lovesy and Robin Phillips have done some preliminary work in preparation for the launch of a new website.
  5. In line with the Charity Commissioner's requirements we have drawn up a complaints procedure to be followed in all complaints, both official and unofficial
  6. We continue to attend quarterly meetings of EMACS (E. Midlands Amenity & Civic Societies) - formerly East MASA -although we have missed a couple this year due to other commitments.

We are sorry to lose Dr. McCoach from the committee, but after more than twenty years service to the society, we feel she well deserves a rest. Dr McCoach has looked after the society's publications for the past twenty years, visiting possible outlets and persuading them to sell our books and cards, making follow up visits, keeping track and accounts of all publications and requesting re-ordering when necessary. She has been a valued member of our team and we shall miss her at our meetings. However, we hope to see her at our public meetings for a long time to come.

Dr. Peter Robinson has kindly agreed to take on the responsibility for publications from October.

Dr Jim Roy will continue to act as our treasurer for this coming year, but he has given notice that, because of his other commitments, he feels unable to give as much to the job as he would like; we will therefore be looking for a replacement during this year - preferably a volunteer!

Robin Phillips stepped into the breach as our Newsletter editor and he is doing a great job, the Newsletter goes from strength to strength. Don't forget, if you have anything to contribute, he would appreciate any articles.

This year we also co-opted Dave Lovesy to our committee, he has served on the Nottingham Civic Society committee. His expertise is in IT and photography.

My thanks once again to all of the committee members who have given their time and worked hard and contributed much to this society and to local issues this year.

This report has been agreed by the Executive Committee Members as Trustees of the Beeston & District Civic Society.

 

Accounts for the year 

from 1st September 2006 to 31st August 2007.

 Report on the Accounts by the Independent Examiner:

I have duly checked the records of the Beeston and District Civic Society for the year ending 31st August 2007, and to the best of my knowledge and belief certify them to be a true record.

 

11th October 2007.           Signed:                 Eric Goodman, (Independent Examiner)

        4 Larch Crescent,

        Chilwell,

        Notts. NG9 4DL.

  

12th October 2007.           Signed on behalf of the Society:

                                                                 Joyce Brown, Chair.

 

To Beeston Civic Society home page