Fern Avenue Residents Group
Minutes of the AGM held at Jesmond Cricket Club on 16th
November 2016
Present. Members of the FAR Group: Noël Burton-Roberts, Tessa Burton-Roberts, Barrie
Craven, Amanda
Davidson , Suky Drummond, Grace Hodge, John Hodge, Mary Hodgson, Elizabeth M, Janet Nicolls, Pam Ranson, Marc Robertson, Bil Sedgwick , Chris Sutcliffe, Jenny Torode, Lucy
Wareing, .
In
attendance: Felicity Mendelson
councillor (FM)
1. Introduction and welcome by the Chair
2.
Apologies for absence. Andii Bowsher,
Manuel Cresciani, Tony and Pat Evans, Les Hodgson, Estelle Louw, James McConnell, Sarah Melling, Richard
Melling, councillors Dan Perry, Stella Postlethwaite, Kerry Allibhai and
Catherine Walker, and the local police.
3. Adoption of the minutes of the last AGM 16th November 2015. The
minutes were adopted.
4. Matters Arising – None.
5. Chair’s report
First
of all, I would like to thank the committee and particularly Grace and John
Hodge and Suky Drummond for their help to me as Chairman of FARG and their
sterling work for FARG throughout the year. Over the past year the committee
has met 3 times.
Information
sharing/gathering:
As in previous years, an information pack about the
FAR Group and welcome to students was distributed to all households in the
street in September along with leaflets from the council and the universities.
The FAR Group website continues to be run by Bil
Sedgewick. Many thanks to him!
Over the year Grace Hodge (as Vice Chair) has attended
meetings as a representative of our group.
Social gatherings and other
events.
One
of the aims of the association is to encourage the development of a sense of
community in the street. To this end we have organised several events.
In
March, 12 residents enjoyed a lunch at Antico.
We
welcome suggestions for the venue for the next lunch.
The
annual street party continues to be a great success. As in 2015, this was held
in the street itself (with copious bunting). It was very well attended and it
was generally agreed to have been a great success. Thanks are due to Suky and
Grace for its organisation, to the magician and the face painter for their
entertainment, to Mike Sutton’s Midnite Special Group for the music, to Matt
for supplying beer from Wylam Brewery, and to all who supplied food and made
and put up the bunting.
An
innovation, a bric a brac stall, was a
success and contributed significantly to FARG`s funds.
On
October 7th, we held our ever-popular annual get-together, a Curry Night at the
Jesmond Cricket Club. This was very successful and well attended by 75
residents and friends. Thanks are due to Suky Drummond and Martin Starkie for
the variety of entertaining quizzes provided, and to Suky for her amazingly
speedy quiz marking. A big thank you for Suky for organising this and to
everyone who helped set it up.
Another
aim of the association is to improve and maintain the look of the Street and to this end a further annual leaf
clearing event is being held on 4th December.
On
the subject of clearing: every week teams of litter pickers clear the street
and back lanes. This has become less onerous for those involved now there are
so many volunteers. Thank you to them and to Bil Sedgwick for overseeing this.
In
addition, Grace Hodge leads the back lane group, which is concerned with the
“greening” of the back lanes and the administration of the planters. The
planters are looked after by individuals some of whom provide their own plants.
As Grace no longer has transport she would appreciate offers of lifts on
occasion to garden centres to obtain further plants for the other planters.
Many thanks go to all the planter carers.
Financing the FAR Group.
In
the past, the Group has applied for and received grants from the Council. Our
finances are supplemented (a) by the sale of tickets for the curry night
(making a very small profit), (b) contributions collected during the street
party and (c) by one-off donations and standing orders from a few members. John
Hodge, our Treasurer, will give details in his report.
The
committee feels that, at a time of local government austerity, it would be
desirable for the Group not to depend
on local government funding, i.e. aim to be self-financing. This could be achieved without too much
hardship if more members were to make regular donations, in the form of a small
- even very small - monthly standing order or an annual donation.
6. Finance Report
See
Appendix 1 for the figures.
The balance in the bank at
the end of this period was £1405.01
Income:
Ward Grants
The group received grants
from the two Jesmond wards amounting to £604.
These grants are much
appreciated.
Standing orders
The income from seven
standing orders set up by members was £216. These orders are for three monthly
payments, one of £3 and two of £5, plus four
annual payments, of £15, £20, and two for £25. The annual income that we can now expect from
these orders is £241. A standing order, for however small an amount, is a very
helpful way for residents to contribute to the running costs of the Group as
this is assured income in each year.
Donations
One-off donations were made
by residents amounting to £55. These have been much appreciated by the
committee.
Street party collection
At the street party held on
26 June, the sum collected from the bric a brac stall (an innovation this year) and from donations for the beer kindly
provided by Matt, 49 Fern, was £321.
Curry night
The committee always aims to
break even with our main social event at the Cricket Club. This year there was
a small surplus of £6.38.
Expenditure
AGM room hire.
£30 has been saved by hiring
the upstairs room at Newcastle Cricket Club instead of the Function Room.
Street Party
The magician and the face
painter are a regular and popular feature of back lanes/street parties. Equally
popular, music was again provided by
Mike Sutton`s Midnite Special Group.
PLI*
A fixed requirement by City
finance officers before releasing the Ward Committees` grants.
Stock
Three sturdy tables have been
purchased at a cost of £100.47. These are an excellent addition to stock and
were put to good use at the street party under our recently acquired big
gazebo.
Self-Sufficiency
I am pleased to be able to
report that the Group is on the way to achieving the aim of the committee of
becoming self-supporting and that our funds are such that we should not need to
apply for grant aid from the North and South Jesmond wards in the financial
year beginning 1 November 2016.
However, we should not become
complacent. We shall continue to need to raise funds in various ways to meet
our annual running costs of around £800.
*A resident asked about the public liability
insurance. Why do we have it and do we need it? It was explained that the group
first took it out as the council insisted that it was necessary to release
grant funds. However, as no application is being made for ward funds in the
current financial year, there is no external compulsion on group to renew this insurance
and this led to discussion. It was noted that not only is the street party
covered but also the litter pickers and other events such as leaf clearing day.
The chair called a vote and the majority of members voted to continue to have
the insurance.
7. Election of officers and committee members
All members of the committee were re-elected.
8. Re-evaluation of major concerns.
Students: A
resident reported that she has been having problems with her student
neighbours’ behaviour. They cause noise, litter and worse mess in the front
garden and street. The council, police and universities have been contacted
which has resulted in some improvement. Another resident, who also lives next
door to an HMO, reported that the letting agents were very good at finding
appropriate tenants for a quiet residential street. It was felt that Pat Robson
could do more in this regard and it was suggested that they are contacted on
behalf of the FAR group to emphasise this.
To Let signs:
It was generally agreed that the ruling banning To Let signs has been a huge
improvement. A resident asked Felicity what the rules are and whether a sign on
the gate is ok? FM confirmed that this is not ok and that signs can only be put
in the windows.
Reports to the police: A resident asked if it was possible to get feedback
on the action police have taken if they had reported an incident e.g. a loud
street party. FM said that she would look into it.
(FM has talked to the police, see the result in
appendix 3)
Jesmond Dene Road Closure: A resident had expressed concern that the closure is
causing more traffic to come up Fern. FM noted that the consultation on the
closure had already taken place but that she was interested in collecting any
comments as to whether we think the closure has had a positive or negative
impact.
New junction markings on and around Fern: A resident had asked to have their status confirmed –
are they roundabouts? FM confirmed that they are not roundabouts. The
priorities are deliberately unclear with the intention that some confusion over
a junction ensures that drivers slow down and take it cautiously. Members at
the meeting expressed different opinions as to the effectiveness of this and a
vote was called to see if people were generally in favour of the new junctions.
A large majority of members present are in favour of them and think they have a
positive impact on traffic.
In was also noted in a more
general discussion that the overall opinion in Fern Avenue is that it would be
beneficial to reopen Holly Avenue and Queens Road. It was suggested that
residents get involved in the next round of Streets for people.
A resident noted that
although there are now 20mph signs in all our streets and on Osborne Road there
appears to be no obvious enforcement.
(See follow up notes from FM – Appendix 3)
9. Any other business
Police Report: The
police were unable to attend the meeting but they sent a report which is
attached in Appendix 2.
Bunting and Gazebo: It was noted that the bunting
and the gazebo which are owned by the group have been lent out to various other
groups – e.g. the gazebo was used at the Community Orchard and the bunting has
been used for other street parties.
Low trees: A
resident asked what the policy is on trees or bushes that impede access on the
pavement. If it is really bad you can report it to the council but it was
agreed that a request for people to tidy up overhanging foliage would be added
onto the flier for leaf clearing day.
Sharing: A
resident mentioned that she always has far too much fresh rosemary and wondered
if there is a way of residents sharing things they have too much of or that
they no longer want. Suggestions included using the website or our e-mail
circulation.
Appendix 1
Fern Avenue Residents Group Financial report
01.11.2015 – 31.10.2016