Minutes of the 54th Annual General Meeting of The Civic Society of St Ives
Held on 20th October 2023 at the Free Church, St Ives.
1. Apologies for Absence
Apologies for Absence have been received from: – Tim Reed, Philip Noble, Diana Baldwin, Paul & Vicky Faupel, David Stewart, Julia Landemoo.
2. Minutes of the 53rd Annual General Meeting
The meeting opened with the Chair, Christine Phillpotts, welcoming everyone and outlining the programme for the evening.
- Annual General Meeting – Complete 8pm
- Public talk postponed from the abortive June meeting – Complete 8.30pm
- The Neighbourhood Plan introduced by Nick Dibben followed by open consultation from the floor- Complete 9.30pm
The Chair pointed that the minutes of last year’s meeting had been included in the Annual Report 2023 and asked if anyone required any amendments or corrections. None were raised.
A motion to adopt the minutes as published was moved.
Proposed: Colin Saunderson. Seconded: Peter Jackson
Motion passed unanimously.
- Matters Arising from the Minutes
There were no matters arising.
- Chair’s Report
Christine Phillpotts noted that her first year’s Chair’s report was included in the 2023 Annual Report and thanked the fellow committee members for their support and guidance throughout.
She welcomed new members to the Society and drew everyone’s attention to the sad loss of older members during the year particularly those with tributes in the Annual Report.
Making reference to “St Ives 2068 – The Optimistic Scenario” written a year or two before Covid by John Holmes and illustrated by Peter Baker a past, and now late, Chairman., which was included in the Annual Report 2023, as she felt its futuristic scenario now seems all too probable. This was why she was supporting the public consultation of the Neighbourhood Plan and had met with other organisations in the Town to promote joined up thinking, hopefully to create a Town Forum to include representatives from residents, shops, local businesses, planners and architects as the future of the Town depended upon collaboration to create and facilitate opportunities for growth.
Ensuring progress was not at the expense of the character of the town she was developing a Local List to ensure the valued features of the town were not lost to future development.
To monitor planning during growth the Planning Action Group has been formed to influence, guide and critique planning in general and applications in particular. This was augmented by her support and liaison with the Neighbourhood Planning Group.
The Society has also recognised that 2023 was a Coronation Year by electing to make a donation facilitating the placing of a bench and trees on the northern edge of Slepe Hall playing field. This would be enhanced by the erection of a storyboard about the history of the field which commemorates the donation of the Slepe Hall Girls School Field to the town and is funded by Peggy Seamark and some of the schools’ old girls.
Christine was also pleased to record that she was recently asked to write a Civic Column for The Hunts Post.
- Treasurer’s Report
The Treasurers Report and Accounts for the year to 30th April 2023 had been included in the Annual Report 2023.
Questions were invited and there were none.
Motion to accept the published Treasurer’s Report.
Proposed: Colin Saunderson Seconded: Peter Newbould.
Motion Passed unanimously.
- Resolutions
To appoint Ms Dianne McGoff BSc, ACIB as independent accounts examiner until the conclusion of the 2024 Annual General Meeting.
Unanimously approved.
- Election of Officers and Committee
The Chair reported that there have been no nominations for new members to join the committee which with the loss of Peter Bousfield and Philip Noble, who were not standing for re-election, reduced the committee further.
The remaining members of the current committee have offered to stand again: Christine Phillpotts Chair, Basil Belcher, Helen Eveleigh, Peter Jackson, John Holmes, Tim Reed, and Barbara Richmond, Mathew Setchell.
Their reappointment was proposed by: Nick Dibben and Seconded by Annie Sly.
Motion passed unanimously.
- AOB
None raised.
The AGM was closed at 7.50pm and was immediately followed by the Open Meeting with a Talk on Gothic Revival Architecture of the 18th & 19th Centuries by Simon Ward and The Neighbourhood Plan Public Consultation.
Public Consultation on the Neighbourhood Plan Neighbourhood Plan
At the end of the 54th AGM and Open Meeting, held on Friday 20th October, 2023 the Civic Society Chair, Christine Phillpotts welcomed members and guests to the first public consultation session to be held this year to discuss the Neighbourhood Plan for St Ives. She acknowledged that there had been consultations in 2019 when the Plan was first being drawn up but advised that it had been agreed by Town Council that the Covid lockdown and subsequent retail decline made it necessary to undertake a further consultation with townspeople from which the NP Group would draft proposals for its revitalisation.
She referenced the information boards placed around the hall which detailed key policies mentioned in the Plan and said that comment forms (which are being provided) should be completed by anyone wishing to make a comment and these could be handed in tonight, or left in the admin office of the Free Church for her to pick up later, and that emails may also be sent to the town hall or to her any time during the consultation period, which expires on December 1st. She then introduced Nick Dibben, Chairman of the planning group.
Q&A Arising:
Q1: How will unscrupulous developers be stopped from, or penalised for breaching their contracts and contravening the Neighbourhood Plan?
A: Planning Enforcement Officers would take steps to deal with breaches, and once the Neighbourhood plan has completed its process and been approved it gains legislative weight, which the Planning Inspector would uphold.
Q2: Envar lorries having access through St Ives restricted are constantly going through the villages early in the morning or late at night which is surely a breach, and an appeal has been submitted for greater access: who owns the roads? How can they be made to uphold their contract?
A: CCC has responsibility for roads and has the power to limit the use of roads by contractors. However, it isn’t within the remit of this Plan to challenge that. Christine suggested that Bluntisham Parish Council approaches the Civic Society to discuss.
Q3. Will the referendum at the end of the consultation provide flexibility for accept some parts of the Plan and reject others?
A: No, it will be a Yes/No vote.
Q4. What would happen if the Plan was rejected at the referendum?
A: The Plan would be scrapped and St Ives would have no development plan.
Q5: The Plan provides ab ideal opportunity to incorporate interventions to alleviate climate crisis, to educate the public about traffic emissions, domestic energy use, safer walking environments, cleaner air.
A: The Neighbourhood Plan does include plans for improved rural protections for hedgerows, green corridors, flood maps. Training sessions for Town Council can be included in the final proposal. It is intended to achieve a nett gain: developers would have to show how the natural environment would be protected. The Plan has raised the bar by applying a 20% improvement target, whilst nationally it is 10%.
Q6: If we make a suggestion which is deemed to be inappropriately framed or phrased, will opportunities be given to reword it so it can be included rather than discarded?
A: Yes, we will contact the person commenting to agree a revised form of wording.