Finham Residents Association

FINHAM RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION

The fight continues to stop the proposed overspill development of 3,500+ new dwellings on King’s Hill

To get the latest information, attend our

Annual General Meeting Monday March 22nd at 7.00pm Finham Primary School (Sports Hall)

Currently there are only 1,931 homes within Coventry Council’s Finham triangle. All are eligible to become members of the Finham Residents Association and over 80% pay subscriptions. However, residents who live outside our area but share our aims and concerns are invited to join us in our efforts.

Please read and retain this brochure.

Further information can be obtained from our website www.finham.org.uk which can be accessed from Finham and other Coventry Libraries (assistance available on request) 72 nd FRA Annual General Meeting 7pm, Monday 22nd March, 2010

(Please attend or at least inform us of your feelings prior to the meeting.)

AGENDA 1. Welcome & Introduction

2. Reports for year 2009/10 (a) President’s Report (b) Secretary’s Report (c) Treasurer’s Report (d) Rounds Organiser’s Report

3. Proposed changes which need to be considered at an AGM (a) The Constitution stipulates that there should be six Executive Members (Chair, Deputy Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Rounds Manager and Equipment Officer) plus 14 ordinary Committee Members. There is no longer a role of Equipment Officer and it is proposed align this Executive role with that of Website Manager. (b) Increasing household annual subscription rates, unwaged from 50p to £1; waged from £1.50 to £2. (c) The raising of additional funds so as to be able to oppose adverse development proposals and FRA methods of operation and accountability. (d) Election of 20 Committee Members. (All positions are up for election.) (e) Recruitment of Rounds persons. (f) Appointment of two Auditors (f) The creation of ‘Associate Membership’ for residents living outside of the established FRA area but who wish to participate in FRA activities. Subscription rates and voting rights as per conventional members. (The changes and handovers will start to take place from the end of this AGM.)

4. King’s Hill Update re Coventry City Council’s Core Strategy (by various FRA Members) followed by a presentation by Mr Gary Stephens (Planning Officer), on WDC’s current position with regard to their Core Strategy.

5. Presentation on the Ancient Trees & Hedges of King’s Hill by Lesley Pritchard and colleagues.

6. Any Other Business with the AGM finishing by 9.30pm. Letter from the FRA President

Dear Resident,

This has been an exceptionally difficult and demanding year for the FRA.

Last year we were suddenly presented with the major threat of proposed development on King’s Hill (KH), the area bounded by our Green Lane, the Coventry to Leamington Railway line, Stoneleigh Road and the A46. Initial indications emerged from Warwick District Council’s Consultation in June 2008, followed by Coventry Council’s Core Strategy Proposals. The Core Strategy for WDC also includes proposals to build on King’s Hill.

If the situation had gone unchallenged, the present nature of Finham would have been spoilt and lost forever. This threat not only continues but is likely to do so for the foreseeable future and will demand increased efforts from Finham residents if it is to be avoided.

While, King’s Hill has needed to dominate our time, we have also attempted to cover the more usual Association business. We have increased the number of our Committee meetings (normally the fourth Monday in the month) to now cover the summer period and added additional meetings especially to deal with KH. It is important to note that during this threat to KH, a significant number of additional members have come forward, rolled up their sleeves become actively involved in protecting Finham. Apart from the feeling of tiredness and exhaustion, what we have subsequently found is a distinct increase in Community Spirit.

We have also looked at our organisational methods (see side 5) including the introduction of our website www.finham.org.uk and contacting members more rapidly by email. We are aware that not every member has a computer or is computer literate but we are trying to increase use via Finham library. We do not intend to stop our circulated printed notices but the KH experience has shown the need to be able to communicate much more quickly and get a more rapid response than previously. It would also be helpful to have your telephone number, etc in our contact database.

This last year has demonstrated the need to have a large number of residents who are actually able and prepared to come and support activities in order to further Finham causes. It is clear that those who work are often not able to attend the official ‘office hours only’ Government style examination/ inquiry sessions as shown with the Regional Spatial Strategy at Molineux stadium in Wolverhampton (4th June 2009), Coventry Core Strategy Examination, (Coventry Council House), the Lower House of Parliament (24th November 2009), the Coventry A45/A46 Tollbar Inquiry but could be available in the evenings or at weekends. Similarly, members without their own transport will find it difficult to attend ‘away’ functions while those with an over 60’s travel pass can attend appropriately located events free of charge if the journey starts after 09.30 hours.

It is clear that we need more members to undertake an active part so that we are able to cover all types of situations. We would appreciate if those residents who can offer specialised skills such as Planners, Local Government Officers, Solicitors etc. make themselves known to FRA but importantly we also need to hear from those who have simply the dedication and enthusiasm to work on behalf for Finham. We also need to make our concerns more widely known and as part of this distributed newsletter you will find side 8 is a KH poster for your window. Caution – please restrain your enthusiasm to use them immediately and delay until we have held the AGM (22/02/10) – there is useful information on the reverse!

Inside this newsletter, you should have a colour printed brochure regarding King’s Hill which you could discuss with friends and neighbours. The total cost of this brochure has been met by a single donation for which we are very grateful.

On your behalf, I am pleased to thank all those residents who have supported our efforts and urge more of you to join us (Please). Some idea of those involved is given by the list of Committee Members following last year’s AGM but there are many, many others whom I have not included simply in view of the space available in this newsletter. However, I hope that those not already on the Committee might consider standing at the AGM.

Thank you for signing our petition against developing King’s Hill; it was stopped after we had collected 3,766 signatures from local residents. We thought that this showed sufficiently the feeling against the proposals.

I would also like to thank the hosts of our (often sudden) various venues, Finham Park School, Finham Primary School, St. Martin’s Church, Alvis Sports Club and the homes of several of our Members.

While, on one hand, our ‘Core Strategy problems’ and KH in Finham are somewhat unique, there are many similarities with those encountered by residents in other areas, especially with regard to the excessive number of new dwellings opted for by Coventry and the proposed general scrapping of large areas of Green Belt for development purposes generally. A positive working relationship with the other groups has developed which has been beneficial to all residents and allowed a more thorough reaction to the proposals.

FRA is particularly indebted to Peter Langley (Council for the Preservation of Rural England) for his advice and support but also generally acknowledge help from other organisations. We have also benefited from the support afforded by our MP, Mr Jim Cunningham and his colleagues.

Bob Fryer, President FRA, 28/02/10. 15 The Graylands, Finham, CV3 6EW Tel: 7641 2609

Other Officers

Vice President: Colin Salt; Treasurer: Anthony Dalton; Subscription Secretary: Alan Elliott; Secretary: Geoff Sewards 8 Grange Ave, CV3 6PP, [email protected] .

FRA Constitutional & Financial Matters

These were last revised in March 1997 and may be inspected on the FRA website, www.finham.org.uk

Since that time, the Association Equipment Scheme has been disbanded and there are no longer the associated ‘Equipment Custodians’, headed by the Equipment Officer who also served as an Executive Officer on the FRA Committee.

The FRA has operated the same financial system for many years. Income was largely generated from household subscriptions, the rate depending on whether the member was working or not working. For each household willing to participate, the subscription amount paid was receipted and should a further amount be offered, it was recorded on the same receipt as a donation. All such amounts collected by the rounds persons would be returned to Subscription Secretary and thence to the Treasurer and finally inspected by the Auditors.

The reason why we are considering such matters now is that particularly in view of the development proposals for King’s Hill, FRA may not be in a position to pay for the professional skills judged to be appropriate to fighting the proposals and that we should seek to raise additional funds to avoid this situation.

Various ways have been considered. One would be the simple raising of the Annual subscription rate and treating these amounts and any donations as previously.

Other Raised Funding Options. The sub-group (Kings Hill Action Group) set up to consider additional ways of raising funds suggested the following:- (a) Collecting boxes in local shops - conventional plastic type with emptying cap covered by a box label. The box would be collected from the shop and replaced by a new one. The collected box would be taken to a nominated person and both persons would empty, count and record the contents which would then be forwarded to the Subscription Secretary. (b) A bucket collection at the AGM. There will be two sealed collection buckets which will be safeguarded by members during the AGM. Before the end of the meeting, in the presence of a further nominated person, the contents of each bucket will be counted and recorded. An announcement will be made to the assembly as to the amount collected. (c) Establishment of a dedicated Post Office Box to which, donations could be sent. Cheques should be made out to Finham Residents Association with the optional addition of ‘- King’s Hill Action Group’. There are three nominated persons entitled to collect the mail from the Post Office Box. The individual letters will be opened and recorded as to content and if given, the name of the sender/donor.

All raised monies from (a), (b) & (c) will be transferred to the Subscription Secretary and thence to the Treasurer who will include them in the FRA bank account as a separately identifiable amount. Authorisation Procedure for KH related expenditure. As with all other FRA monies, payments can only be authorised by the agreement of a minimum of three of the Executive Committee Members. It would be hoped that other committee members would also be present at that time in order give their view.

By operating the system in this way, it aimed to satisfy the established system.

Where a donor meets in full the cost of a particular item or operation. This would be treated as the chosen action of the donor and as long as it in agreement with the actions acceptable to the FRA and otherwise, be greeted with thanks but a matter for the benefactor. If the proposed action by the donor did not occur, then the donor would decide what would then happen.

Refund of unrequired KH funds This will be impossible for items collected by methods (a) & (b) as the origins of the contributors and the amounts is unknown. While method (c) is expected to have at least some identification as to the donor, it would be very difficult to return a proportion of the balance. Bearing in mind that Financing of the defence of KH has been and will continue to receive FRA funds other than from donations; it is proposed that surplus donated funds are held in the FRA account for future use. Your Need to be Informed and Help our FRA

In order for the FRA to be effective in achieving our objectives, we have to be as efficient as those organisations that are causing our concerns e.g. Local Council and Government. Clearly, this is not an even playing field as the opposition has been given the time to do the work and are being paid to do it. We have to rely on enthusiastic volunteers.

We need to improve the efficiency of how we share information As stated earlier, we would like to encourage:- (i) Wider use of our website (to keep yourself up to date on pertinent matters) (ii) Increased communication based more by email. (iii) Passing information to neighbours who do not have computers.

We recognise that not every resident has the necessary IT skills or a computer. We would like to encourage you to consider using the facilities at Finham Library. There are four computers available and on alternate Fridays (last date was February 26th) staff provide training and support between 2 and 4pm.

Pete Barclay has produced a Help sheet on using the Finham Website and this is available at the Library.

Finally, we would like more of you who use the internet to consider providing your email address so that we can include on our briefing notices. Other areas of Concern / Involvement

1. Police Residents are not reporting suspicious behaviour nor damage to their parked cars nor the loss of their car number plates. We are very lucky to receive our current levels of Community policing but this is likely to be reduced in the light of the low number of reported crimes. These things are happening – report them and request a crime number. Beware of opportunist burglars and lock your windows and doors when leaving your house. Similarly, with your car but put valuables out of sight in the boot, etc. 7 Finham residents have been trained to assist with SpeedWatch checks in this area. The police attend our committee meetings, the 3 monthly Wainbody Ward Forums and the drop in sessions at St Martin’s Church. 2. Community Spirit Please try to keep an eye open for your neighbours and if you use the internet, offer to pass FRA information on to them 3. Planning Individual planning applications have been a bit lower probably as a result of the economic situation but we still receive the weekly list of application. Late night opening at the Planning Office to 6pm on Tuesdays. 4. Roads Please report holes and defective street lighting units (quote number on column). 4 FRA members attended the A45/A46 Tollbar End Inquiry. Keep an eye on www.finham.org.uk for updates. 5. Litter Please help to keep Finham tidy. 6. Inappropriate Parking Please consider wheelchair users, the blind and mothers with young children. Legally, to drive across a pavement you must have an officially dropped kerb. 7. Buses Generally seem to be providing a good service judging by the few complaints we receive. However there seems to be a case to be made for our 15 to run longer in the evenings to cater from those commuting to work in Birmingham by bus and train. Your ideas, please. 8. If you have a 60+ travel card why not get out more and use it. It should be interesting for you and you are saving our service. Your journey is free (after 9.30 am Mon.-Fri) and all day Sat & Sunday. Trains in West Midlands also free at these times. 9. Dog Fouling Congratulations to those who clean up after their dog. It makes a noticeable difference to Finham. Unfortunately there are still a few owners who need to follow your example