Peninsula Villages Community Land Trust
Third Annual General Meeting
Wednesday, 28 September 2022, at 7pm
Alderton Village Hall
Draft Minutes
| Attendees: 9 trustees, 1 member
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| Apologies: Joy Andrews, Diana Bickerton, Judi Hallett
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| Christine Block chaired the meeting and welcomed all attendees.
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| Approval of the minutes of the 2021 AGM was proposed by Clare Walker, seconded by Peter Brown and agreed unanimously as a true record of the meeting.
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| Christine presented the Chair’s Annual Report, which outlined progress made over the past year.
The Peninsula Villages Community Land Trust (PVCLT) has been busy with the detailed development issues relating to its first affordable houses in the Martello Close development in School Lane, Bawdsey. The Trustees continue to seek a second site but East Suffolk Council (ESC) has indicated that the Council now sees itself as the main provider of affordable housing and has rejected the CLT’s business case to build 3 or 4 affordable units on a small plot of land currently owned by the Council at the end of Coronation Avenue, Hollesley. This decision has left Trustees feeling frustrated and angry. ESC has also changed its policy on how it intends to use the remaining money it holds from the Government’s Community Housing Fund. This means that it is doubtful that PVCLT will be offered any further financial support from ESC and must therefore look to other sources of grant aid which, in this financial environment, seems very unlikely to be offered. A meeting has been requested to ascertain ESC’s view on the role and future of PVCLT and other Community Land Trusts in East Suffolk. Despite the challenges of developing the PVCLT and establishing a sound business model to take it forward, the Trustees are pleased with their progress to date and continue to believe that the organisation can play an important part in sustaining the Peninsula villages. Acceptance of the Annual Report was proposed by Peter Brown, seconded by Peter Widdup and agreed unanimously.
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| Philip Bouscarle presented the 2021-22 Annual Accounts, which were prepared and audited by Beatons Ltd.
Receipts last year totalled £11,000 and total payments of £17,220 were made, leaving a balance of £39,188. Acceptance of the Annual Accounts was proposed by Philip Bouscarle, seconded by Clare Walker and agreed unanimously.
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| According to the Rules that govern the Peninsula Villages CLT, each Trustee who has served their fixed term of 3 years must retire from office. Any Trustee who retires from office at an AGM under this rule is eligible for immediate re-election.
Peter Brown has served his 3-year term was willing to stand for a further 3 years. Tim Giles was co-opted onto the Board on 11 November 2021, and was proposed for election. No objections were received and both Peter and Tim were elected as Trustees of PVCLT.
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| The turnover of PVCLT is likely to be in excess of £400,000 in 2022-23; the Board of Trustees therefore recommended the use of Beatons Ltd to carry out the audit of next year’s Annual Accounts.
Acceptance of this recommendation was proposed by Peter Brown, seconded by Christine Block and agreed unanimously.
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| No questions or comments were received from members.
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| Christine Block suggested that it was time for her to stand down as Chair; no other Trustees were willing to take on this post, although Andrew Palmer offered to offer support in the role of Deputy Chair.
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| Christine Block closed the meeting, thanking everyone for attending. |