The membership approved the new constitution which recognises Redcar & Cleveland area as part of the Branch, moves towards a skill based trustee board and created a nomination procedure for the selection of Trustees.
Paul Whitaker presented the accounts in the new format as advised by our national office.
Peter and Oliver gave excellent speeches about their book, 22 Ideas that saved the English countryside and copies soon sold out.
The transcript of the Chair's speech is below and draft minutes were circulated to all Trustee's by our new Honorary Secretary within 48 hours of the meeting!
Anyone who wishes to contact the Branch should write to the Hon Secretary, Ms C Gregory c/o the Branch emailing address cprecraven@me.com
The Chair's speech AGM 2015:
I had a speech ready to use today
IT LACKED SOMETHING
I asked my son what he thought about it and his response was
What do you really want to say?
So, I thought about it and what I really want to say is:
CPRE IS A REALLY GOOD CHARITY
In fact, We’re very good
We’re run entirely volunteers in North Yorkshire who give their time, expertise and commitment freely
We’re all working to protect over 2 million acres or 3200 square miles of North Yorkshire that includes
Two national parks, three areas of outstanding beauty, 2 GREEN BELTS, 32 miles of heritage coastline, hundreds of conservation ares, thousands of heritage assets and tens of thousands of acres of agricultural land
Its a diverse landscape ranging from the GENTLY ROLLING GREEN DALES TO THE BROODING MOORS ON to a dramatic coastline with a heritage that covers the breadth of British history THAT includes roman times, vikings and the industrial revolution
we respond to threats from planning policies or applications which put our countryside
market towns or rural villages in danger.
We campaign for the right kind of development in the right place at the right time.
We promote a common sense approach to planning based on objective reasoning and well researched policies.
We’re a planning charity
The trustees and I know that we’re providing a much needed service.
We’re trying to give as much help to as many people as we can. That’s what charities do
We HELP local people, parish councils and action groups who COME TO US WHEN THEY ARE faced with the complex, confusing and highly frustrating world of planning,
We guide, support, advise.
When necessary we provide professionally based responses for them
We even make cups of tea…. because we actually listen to their fears
The most common question I am asked is
HOW CAN THIS BE ALLOWED?
For example how can a committee in Northallerton override the decision of the Local Planning Authority, every parish council SUPPORTED THEIR LOCAL AUTHORITY and over 4000 paper objections.
WELL IT CAN AND IT DID
Those of us at ‘ the coal face’ know only too well that determined developers are becoming more EVEN MORE determined to achieve their goals and THAT MEANS
our work load is only set to
increase over the next few years.
we needs to be fit for the future
so that we can continue to endorse and enhance the work started
90 years ago in London by the Council for the Preservation of Rural England.
When I looked back at the work accomplished by CPRE North Yorkshire in 2015 it made me proud to be chairman and proud to a part of this organisation.
How can such a small group of people have achieved so much with such limited resources
Today should be a celebration,
it should be a day to get together and recognise the work of this group.
we’ve had many, many successes.
we haven’t won everything
We have made a difference
But as we clear one file another one hits the desk.
We thought the Potash application was complex and then KM8 arrived…..
We combatted wind farms in sensitive areas only to find that
industrial scale anaerobic digesters and solar farm applications have taken their place……
We successfully fought to protect areas of green belt in Harrogate and York and new applications are lodged daily
and our campaigning work helped to keep four conservation areas safe from development yet determined developers re apply….APPEAL AND APPLY AGAIN
We’ve responded to local plans ACROSS THE COUNTY which seem to set ludicrously high unachievable housing targets.
There are over 900,000 empty homes across the country and the recent CIVITAS report that shows developers are sitting on planning permissions for 750,000 homes
The media and government scream we need more houses, build build build……at any cost
BUIILD AT WHAT COST?
So Our work goes on…. at local, county and government level.
We have a job to do, a service to provide
we have to address one issue that keeps diverting us from our job.
We have 849 SUPPORTERS IN NORTH YORKSHIRE,
WE also HAVE a small GROUP OF PEOPLE UNREPRESENTATIVE OF OUR LARGE MEMBERSHIP.
THEY HAVE what can only be described as their own agenda,
which appears to be to discredit the trustees
Over the last nineteen months
They’ve written letter after letter
to people outside CPRE North Yorkshire and within,
sometimes they are simply not factual.
some of the claims made have bordered on defamation of character
we’re not cronies as one letter accused.
The trustees are all volunteers working for the charity freely and they are the people with financial and personal accountability AND LIABILITY FOR THE ACTIONS OF THIS CHARITY
These negative and frequently distressing actions
have diverted us from our work
and now we have to take a proactive approach to dealing with this.
You may think, ignore them, they’ll go away…
well they didn’t and they haven’t
we’re still having to deal with this campaign.
so to those few individuals I want to say:
Please stop and consider your actions.
What do you really want to achieve?
Think about the Campaign to Protect rural England
think about our function as a planning charity
that provides a much need service to people facing applications that would destroy their homes, their way of life, their enjoyment of the surroundings AND DESTROY OUR NORTH YORKSHIRE COUNTRYSIDE
…. please think more about the work of this charity rather than your aims to discredit us,
BECAUSE
GOOD Governance, objectivity, and a clear understanding of what CPRE is and does
is essential to ensure we are REALLY effective.
The trustees have spent the last year ensuring that we comply with the charity commission guidelines.
We DO NOW
Trustees have balanced the books and corrected all the errors. THE BOOKS BALANCE
The trustees have worked above and beyond to achieve our charitable objectives.
We’re NOW fit for purpose and fit for the future to keep on campaigning in North Yorkshire. THAT’S WHAT WE’RE HERE FOR
22 Ideas that Saved the English Countryside by Sir Peter Waine and Oliver Hillam was published earlier in the summer.
The book, guaranteed to motivate, delight and inspire contains 22 ideas from CPRE that saved the English Countryside.
I’m not going to hijack their speech by talking about those 22 ideas, but it did make me think that we should illustrate 22 North Yorkshire volunteers who have saved our countryside.
WHEN I ASKED AROUND THE BRANCH FOR NAMES
My plans for 22 names was scuppered because the lists came back with many more!
So today, I want to end on a highly positive note and just picked out five PEOPLE WHO ACTIVELY WORK TO SAVE OUR COUNTRYSIDE
Jill Wilson - LOCAL PLANS
Jill’s worked on the local plan in her area for the last seven years
Jill’s worked to ensure that the local plan sets achievable goals
AND ACTUALLY RECOGNISES THE IMPORTANCE OF THE COUNTRYSIDE.
it’s a constant fight as the local authority are of the build build build mind set
without Jill’s work though, this worrying plan would have sailed through unopposed.
Miles Garnett One of our unsung heroes
One of CPRE North Yorkshire many unsung heroes
We need to remember that those who work behind the scenes are as important as the campaigners.
Miles has been secretary of a local district for years and the local Chairman tells me
Miles is the glue that holds the district together. TO KEEP IT GOING
Ron Healey, Dedication at local , Branch and Regional Level
RON’S WORKED FOR CPRE for more years than he probably wants me to mention
Ron works at local , county and regional levels of CPRE.
Recently he took a train from Church fenton to Leeds, from Leeds to Silden and then bicycled up a canal bank to meet in the pouring rain where we presented a cheque to the Canals Trusts - then he did the whole journey in reverse .. and it was still raining. THATS DEDICATION
Madeleine Beaufoy Campaigning Work
Madeleine campaigned hard to achieve recognition for an important area of woodland.
Papers were ‘lost’, people changed jobs, letters went unanswered PHONE CALLS WENT UNRESPONDED TO but
Madeline never gave up ,
four years after she started her campaign,
Bannister Wood in Cowling was granted Ancient Woodland Status.
and thus added protection
Shirley Thubron an unsung hero
for over 30 years, Shirley worked as treasurer, secretary and planning officer for the former Swaledale district.
Shirley continues to advise the Branch today
such dedication should not go unmentioned.
The Branch trustees voted to make Shirley an honorary member as it turned out, she wasn’t a member of CPRE!
Before I hand the Chair back to Lord Crathorne who we are so fortunate to have as our President for another year,
I would to applaud the work of every SINGLE volunteer who has given so much to our charity and helped us
ensure we have the right kind of development in the right place at the right time…. for the right reasons
To our volunteers, our trustees, and every member who supports our work, thank you ALL. You are the reason we continue to do what we do and you give us the strength to continue.
The Chairman's speech was taped and this is a verbatim transcript of the speech.
Once again, CPRENY hosted an su