Minutes of Residents' Association AGM October 9th 2023

 

Minutes of the Annual General Meeting of the Burton Green Residents’ Association held on October 9th 2023 at the Village Hall

The meeting was preceded by a presentation from HS2 representatives.

Rona was unable to attend the AGM and so Janet Hickinbottom chaired the meeting. She welcomed everyone.

1. Apologies:

Apologies had been received from Rona Taylor, Archie Taylor, Judi Hibberd, Alan Marshall, Cheryl Wall, Liz Saxon, Eileen Nisbett and Carol Green

Minutes of the last meeting:

The minutes of the last Annual General Meeting of September 2022 were accepted.  

Proposed:      Deirdre Vernon

Seconded:     Faith Ward

2. Matters Arising:

Any matters arising had been dealt with.

3. Chair’s Report:

A report from Rona had been circulated in advance as follows:

It has been another very busy year for the Residents’ Association working on behalf of all Burton Green residents. The size of the village is growing rapidly and we welcome the new members of the parish in the Crest Nicholson development in Westwood Heath Road. All residents of the parish are members of the Residents’ Association, unless they indicate their desire to opt out.

We celebrated the Coronation as a community by renovating the Jubilee Verge which has now been renamed the Coronation Verge. Returfing was funded by HS2 contractors and a bench and new plant troughs were funded courtesy of Councillor John Cook’s committee; many thanks to both! The mosaics were replaced and three new ones constructed by the community, under the expert guidance of Jo Edler whom we also warmly thank.

The Christmas events were a great success last year and plans are well under way for this year’s: HS2 contractors are again supplying a Christmas tree for the Verge, where they have already provided the electrical supply; students from Burton Green Academy will take part in the Christmas card competition and we look forward to working with the Balsall Common Lions to make the Santa Sleigh evening another resounding success.

The Burton Green lunches have developed a legendary reputation over the years and we were delighted to be able to organise two this year in our new Village Hall. We marked Councillor George Illingworth’s retirement at this event by presenting him with a garden table, in recognition of his twenty years’ service to Burton Green. 

Many thanks to the Bugle team for providing four editions, keeping the whole community fully informed over the year. Thanks also to Peter Stanworth for taking on the role of liaising with HS2 and keeping us well informed.

Despite, or perhaps because of the devastating impact of HS2, we have maintained our priority of keeping our environment as pleasant as possible. The flower tubs always look amazing, potholes and fly tipping are reported promptly and the progress of complaints followed up. We are really grateful to the large number of residents who regularly carry out litter picks, many of them doing so on a daily basis. Thanks also to Alison and Jim Fielding who have undertaken the mowing of the Verge and watering of the Verge troughs.

We now have three defibrillators in the Village: at Hedgerow ‘s Nursery, Cromwell Lane (paediatric and adult), at the new Village Hall in Red Lane, and in Hodgett’s Lane, close to the old village hall. There is also one being planned for Red Lane. Thanks to our First Responder, Alice Hawkins for overseeing the operation of these vital pieces of equipment.

The 87 Bus continues to trundle through Burton Green each hour, Monday to Saturday. Please do your best to support this vital service when you can by leaving your car at home and going to Balsall Common and Solihull, or Canon Park and Coventry by bus. Unfortunately, the 24 Bus to Kenilworth no longer goes through Burton Green after the bus company’s analysis showed very, very low usage. This is such a blow to Red Lane residents without cars who now have just two buses a week to Kenilworth. At the suggestion of the resourceful Chloe Skidmore, a new Red Lane resident who organised a petition concerning the demise of the Number 24, we have asked Warwick County Council Transport Department to extend the patch of the IndieGo+ to Red Lane. Watch this space!

Also on the issue of buses, at the request of another Red Lane resident, we have asked the Parish Council to look at constructing a bus shelter on the site of the former Air Raid Warden’s shelter.

So many people in Burton Green work unseen for the community and it is this initiative, commitment and expertise which makes us a community to be proud of. Thanks to all!

4. Treasurer’s Report

Dianne advised that due to the early date of the AGM after the end of the financial year, the accounts were currently with the Independent Auditor and would be made available once they had been signed off. 

Janet thanked Marlene Hills for arranging examination of the accounts and Dianne for being such a competent and reliable treasurer.

5. Election of Independent Examiner 

Marlene Hills had agreed to arrange the Independent Examiner.

Proposed:  Andy Gibbs

Seconded: Mary Webb

Unanimously agreed.

6. Election of Committee members:

Janet Hickinbottom, in her role as Joint Secretary, conducted this agenda item.

The constitution required that the officers and three committee members should stand down.  All the officers, Rona Taylor, Mary Webb, Janet Hickinbottom, Judi Hibberd and Dianne Adams were re-elected  

Proposed:  Chris Langton

Seconded:  Paddy Deeley

Unanimously agreed.

Three committee members also stood down and agreed to be re-elected: 

Andy Gibbs, Hilary Cox, Helen Hehir

Proposed:  Chris Langton 

Seconded:  Lesley Tacon

Unanimously agreed.

Ana Aliverti had expressed interest in joining the committee and she would be very welcome.

However, she was unable to attend the AGM because of family commitments but would plan to be present at the next committee meeting in November.

It was reiterated that new committee members or those willing to volunteer for specific projects would be most welcome and should approach a current committee member to discuss this.

7. Discussion of key Burton Green issues:

• Village Hall

As Cheryl Wall, Chair of the Village Hall trustees, was unable to attend, the Vice-Chair, Adrian Hickinbottom, provided an update on the new Village Hall.

We moved in on 14 February 2023 and are finding all the new people coming to the hall are impressed with the facilities.   The Trustees try to put on a variety of activities: some old events and new events trying to get a balance for community events and private events as we need to make sure we bring in enough revenue to cover bills – our utility bill is being monitored as we had a delay in connecting photovoltaic cells on the roof; these are now working and should have an impact.

Advertising events - in future the notice board from the old village hall will be on the Greenway and there will be a new notice board erected next to the Village Hall entrance shortly so people visiting the hall can see forthcoming events. 

In relation to the use of the hall, we are mindful of the noise and disturbance for our neighbours. We are trying to control and monitor any issues and advise users of rules and requirements for noise control whilst using the hall as we do not have someone on site all the time. We hope hirers will take notice and be responsible. 

Landscaping started in February with a clay field and big pond which the landscaping company has been in trying to level off. We are hoping that when the grass has grown there will not be the pond!  In the next few weeks landscapers will be planting various spring flowering bulbs around the hall. 

Adrian reminded attendees that the Village Hall AGM is on Monday 4 December 7:00 pm with a cheese and a glass of wine – all are welcome.  If anyone wishes to be involved in running events at the Village Hall, trustees are actively seeking to co-opt interested parties and encourage people to put their names forward. 

Peter Stanworth asked why the topsoil to the village hall grounds was removed and not replaced.  Adrian responded that the trustees had appointed professional teams to make the correct decisions regarding their specialism and to also monitor the situations.   The trustees are currently working to resolve a number of outstanding issues which are being pursued through the main contractor and their subcontractors. 

A question was asked as to who owns the village hall and grounds.  Adrian replied that the Trustees are custodians of the hall and if there were any issues it would revert to the Charity Commission.  

Janet thanked all the trustees of the village hall for the work they do on behalf of all the residents. It is much appreciated. 

• Speedwatch

Pat Hehir provided information on Speedwatch in Burton Green.

Burton Green has been operating Speedwatch since 2012 when there was a sizeable group of volunteers and a significant roadside presence with a good reputation even receiving compliments from some drivers.   The team felt there was an improvement and reduction in the speed of passing vehicles whilst we had a presence twice a week.  The team ceased operations in 2017 due to a reduction in the number of volunteers.  

At the request of Parish Council, the Team was reformed in 2022 with 5 fully trained volunteers; 2 have received police training to participate on roadside but not trained to use the laser, this is the minimum level required to operate.  The current members are very positive and enthusiastic, however more help is required.   The team are police trained, police supervised and operate in strict compliance with Warwickshire Police authority and all recordings are put through police for appropriate action and although no fines are given as a result of our readings those speeding can expect a precautionary letter from the police.  In order to have an effective outcome the team need to have an effective roadside presence and need to be seen more frequently.  

Pat thanked the members of the group, Parish Council and Village Hall for their support and if anyone wants any more information or can lend a hand, please contact Pat Hehir. 

8. Any Other Business: 

A Red Lane resident asked for BGRA support to oppose the proposed building of residential properties in Red Lane as per the South Warwickshire Plan.  The action group’s aim is to (1) ensure the District Council inform people what actions are being taken, (2) obtain support from the District Councillors and (3) gather evidence against the proposed development.  

Andy Gibb responded that this matter lies with the Parish Council who are in support of the residents’ concerns and once the options move to the next stage they will assist with appropriate action. 

Janet confirmed the BGRA support for the opposition and as there are two Parish councillors on BGRA committee they will be kept updated on the situation. 

Janet thanked all attendees. 

10. Date of Next Annual General Meeting: 

The next Annual General Meeting would be held on October 21st 2024 at the Village Hall.

Minutes of Residents' Association Committee Meeting September 25th 2023

 

Minutes of Burton Green Residents’ Association Committee Meeting

September 25th 2023

Present:

Dianne Adams; Hilary Cox; Paddy Deeley; Andy Gibbs; Judi Hibberd; Janet Hickinbottom; Rona Taylor; Mary Webb.

1. Apologies and minutes of the last meeting (July 24th 2023):

Apologies had been received from Helen Hehir, Bron Putnam and Faith ward.

Summary of actions following the meeting	Responsible
Check with PC clerk about entrance gates	Paddy and Andy
Ask PC clerk to add entrance gates to next agenda	Judi
Contact Ana Aliverti about nomination to join the committee.	Janet
Arrange voting slips for November 27th charity selection vote	Judi
Contact Junior Stitch Group organizer regarding committee decision about grant application	Janet
Book dates with Village Hall for 2024 meetings	Judi

    

Minutes of the last meeting and Matters Arising

See Minutes of July 24th 2023 meeting

Matters Arising from the previous minutes:

• Check with Marlene Hills about examination of accounts. Marlene agreed.

• Purchase book tokens for girls who have watered the tub in Red Lane. Completed.

• Check with PC clerk about use of CIL. Paddy and Andy to check further

• Investigate costs of “entrance gates” Agenda item.

• Check with VH trustees about purchase of chair trolleys. Agenda item.

• Suggested sites for bird boxes – request in the Bugle. No response.

• Details of geocaching request on Facebook to see if anyone is interested. No response.

• Expressions of interest to be sought via the Bugle for an Open Gardens event in the summer of 2024. Several residents have volunteered to be involved.

• Add AGM details to the Bugle. Completed and agenda item.

The minutes of the July 2023 meeting were approved.

2. Village Hall:

Cheryl had sent her apologies. Paddy and Dianne (who are also Village Hall trustees) said discussions were underway to get further communication with Deeley’s to sort out remaining snagging list. Locks were to be put on the cupboards in the corridor. Bookings were going very well, even into 2024. Bulbs were to be planted in the grounds.

3. Treasurer’s Report:

See: Treasurer’s Report

A report had been circulated as follows:

BGRA Accounts as at 22 September 2023

Current Account net balance: £5012.23

Deposit Account net balance: £1,012.36

Total Funds: £6024.59

Major Expenditure Since Last Meeting

Book tokens for children watering plants - £40

Hire of hall £22.50

Income Since Last Meeting

BGRA Lunches ticket monies received BACS - £320 (More to be added)

Outstanding Parish Funds to be used by 31 March 2024 - £1,479.92

Thanks were given to Dianne for her efficient handling of the accounts.

4. Residents’ views/concerns:

Number 24 bus no longer runs through Burton Green. Discussions have taken place regarding the IndieGo+ bus, a facility which can be contacted by phone or an app and if there is capacity, the bus collects passengers.

Rona had been in touch with Warwickshire County Council Transport team to see if the IndieGo+ bus route could be extended to cover Red Lane. Stuart Kocan-Payne had replied and promised to look into it. “However, it's not an easy or straightforward decision to make and will need some careful consideration and investigation to make sure that any extension such as this does not adversely affect the rest of the already busy service.”

A further response was as follows:

Unfortunately, the IndieGo+ scheme is a trial being financially subsidised by the Department of Transport (DfT). As it is a trial, we are supplying data to them on a monthly basis in exchange for their financial support. This means that any changes to the scheme have to be approved by the DfT as it could affect the data comparison within the trial. 

I will write to our contact within the DfT to ask if this would be possible and we will get back to you as soon as we possibly can. 

Passenger Transport Team

Meanwhile the 87 bus is well used but Red Lane residents without their own transport, have only 2 buses a week into Kenilworth.

Update on and discussion of Residents’ Association initiatives and issues:

• Community Fund from BBV – Judi reported that Burton Green is still not a priority area and as such cannot apply for funding. It was agreed to wait to see if the situation changed.

• CIL fund – entrance gates. Judi had investigated at length. The cost of the number of gates required was estimated at a minimum of £8k. The project involved not only the purchase of the gates but erection, permissions from verge owners, inspection of services beneath the verge etc. It was agreed this was too big a project for the Residents’ Association. Could the Parish Council be involved as this is a traffic calming measure? Judi agreed to write to the clerk of the Parish Council asking for this item to be added to the next agenda.

Action: Judi

• Excess funding - There were excess funds remaining from the Warwick District grant. Chair trolleys for the Village Hall could be purchased and Paddy had agreed to check this with the trustees. Other ideas were welcome. – The Village Hall committee accepted the idea but needed to work out how and where the trolleys could be used. If the cost exceeded the amount remaining in the WDC grant, the committee agreed further funds could be found.

• HS2 issues - Rona had spoken to Sara Louise and George of HS2 on several matters.

1. The top of the tunnel – what would be done? Rona was told the landscaping could not be discussed until next year and decisions would be made by the Local Authority. Jeremy Wright MP was arranging a meeting for interested parties to find out more about plans and to enable residents to see if they can influence the landscaping. Cycle paths are also planned throughout the area.

2. Lighting of the underpass. This would be only the width of the road and street lighting would provide sufficient light.

3. Frequent road closures although the Select Committee had assured residents that this wouldn’t happen. HS2 had said it would compensate the community generously by providing the Christmas tree for the Coronation verge, a defibrillator in Hodgett’s Lane. Could we ask about the gates too?

4. Another drive-through event was planned for September 26th at 4:30. Mary Webb agreed to go along and Peter Stanworth was also planning to take part. 

• Planned housing development Red Lane. A meeting had been held and a working group established chaired by Cllr Kyn Aizlewood. It was necessary to look at access to various parcels of land that had been offered. The WCC decision about the next steps was awaited before further progress could be made. Paddy noted that land between Birmingham Road and Hollis Lane looked ripe for development too and this would impact on Burton Green.

• Defibrillator update

Judi gave a report as follows:

The defibrillator is now active.

Alice has registered it and is the guardian and I am the deputy guardian.

If it is needed and a 999 call made, they are given the location and lock code to open it.

If it is used then Alice is notified and she does a follow up welfare visit to the person who used it and she replaces the pads. The Residents’ Association will be asked to pay for the pads at around £60 each. Failing that, the ambulance service will pay for them and she suggests we ask the parish council for the money should we need it.

It will eventually go up on the posts outside the old village hall that had the notice board on. It will have power from the lamppost and HS2 will put up signs.

That is scheduled for the end of this month.

The deputy guardian goes once a week and checks it’s still active and once a month fills in details on an app called Circuit. If I forget the app will remind me until I do it.

Only the ambulance and Alice have the lock code.

So, we have a cabinet and a defibrillator and it’s awaiting its final placement but HS2 don’t know that so let’s just keep it that way till it’s in its final place.

Following Judi’s discussions, further correspondence had been received saying that the Parish Council was now involved in decisions about the defibrillator but the parish councillors present at the Residents’ Association meeting said the Parish Council was not looking to take ownership of the defibrillator and it was agreed the Residents’ Association would retain control of the Hodgett’s Lane defibrillator.

• AGM arrangements. Rona would unfortunately be unavailable at the time of the AGM.  Janet would chair the meeting and Dianne would take the minutes. Actions from the previous AGM had been completed. Mary and Hilary had agreed to take care of the refreshments. Details were finalised to include a presentation about the Village Hall and another about Speedwatch. Thanks were given to Alan Deeley for erecting the banner at the top of Red Lane. 

• Representatives from HS2 would be available to answer questions from 7p.m. Resident Ana Aliverti had volunteered to join the committee. Her application needed to be nominated and seconded at the AGM. Janet agreed to contact Ana to explain this.

Action: Janet

• Christmas – Santa’s Sleigh, charity, Christmas cards, Christmas tree -Mary was liaising with Balsall Common Lions regarding Santa’s sleigh 2023. Janet had suggested Coventry Food Bank as the charity and Hilary would add Compassion for Kenilworth, Action for Children and Zarach.  The committee would vote on these suggestions at the next meeting on November 27th.

Action: Judi

Faith was arranging the Christmas card competition with the school. Judging would take place on November 24th. The Christmas tree was to be supplied, erected and decorated by HS2.

• Flower tubs – These continued to look good. Thank you to Hilary and Mary for planting them and to volunteers for watering them.

• Priorities for precept money – nothing to add.

• Bugle funding

• Bulbs

• Coronation verge maintenance – strimmer

• Open Gardens 2024 – several residents had volunteered to open their gardens.  Further details would be arranged.

5. Parish Councillor's Report:

A presentation about battery storage plans had been held prior to the most recent parish council meeting. A point has been raised that in Norfolk a proposed storage facility has been rejected because of potential fire hazards and the problems of toxic fumes. Could this argument be used in Burton Green? Will the application continue?

6. Any Other Business: 

A bulb planting session would be held on September 27th at the Coronation verge.  All volunteers would be welcome.

A funding application had been received on behalf of a Junior Stitch Group.  The committee noted that it now had a policy stating it was not a grant-giving organisation. However, it was agreed that if a sufficient number of children expressed an interest in the Group, the Residents’ Association would be prepared to purchase the items highlighted in the application (totalling a price of £86.68) as long as they remained at the village hall and belonged to the Residents’ Association. Janet agreed to email the applicant to explain this decision.

Action: Janet

Thanks were given to Andy Jones for creating the small garden table for George Illingworth, to be presented at the lunch on Friday September 29th. The committee awaited Andy’s invoice (the cost to be shared with the Parish Council).

Rona thanked committee members for attending and for their work during the year.

7. Date of next Meeting:

The AGM would take place on October 9th.

The next committee meeting was scheduled for November 27th 2023. 

Judi had sorted out dates for 2024 and 2025 and would now book the village hall on those dates.

Action: Judi