BCA 2015 AGM REPORT
Members listening to the Chair's report at their 46th AGM
Poole’s Cavern visitor centre was packed for Buxton Civic Association’s 46th AGM. Mike Monaghan in his first address as Chair of the Association welcomed members to the meeting and described how the next few years could be the most exciting in BCA’s history. Building on the strong foundations that had been laid down over the past ten years, Mike explained that the Association was now able to focus on using its wealth of experience and knowledge in reaching out to other Buxton organisations and developing influential partnerships to help shape the future of the town.
Mike Monaghan addressing Buxton Civic Association AGM
Paying tribute to the board and to the staff, Mike said that the strong business model that Poole’s Cavern provided enabled BCA to manage and constantly improve its extensive estate of woodlands, and to provide support to other like-minded organisations in the town.
Peter Philipson, Director with responsibilities for the Woods gave a presentation on the work of the Wood Watch committee and explained in detail the work that had been done earlier in the year to create a woodland ride. Supported by RSPB and a grant from the Forestry Commission he explained that this work would complement the glades, which gave Grin Wood its SSSI status.
Considerable investment had also been made in improving some 1.5km of paths in Grin Woods and also in Corbar where the final link in the Ring of Trees walk had been completed. This would not have been possible with out the generous donations of materials from Lafarge Tarmac and support with transport from Lomas Distribution.
Simon Fussell talked about the Environmental Quality Mark that the Association had been awarded for a second year, and explained how the EQM supported the board’s objective in providing an environmentally sustainable business model. It provided a benchmark against which decisions could be made to ensure that the environment was always put at the forefront. The Association was also pleased to be able to support the work that Derbyshire Wildlife Trust was doing to vaccinate badgers in the area from Bovine Tb.
Brian Shawcross, Finance Director, reported another successful year. We increased visitor numbers, controlled costs and generated a healthy surplus on a turnover of over £0.5 million which will allow us to plan for future improvements.
Mike thanked the two retiring director’s, Tim Middleton and Owen Longden for their hard work and support and welcomed Nigel Manning to the board.
It had been decided at the last AGM that major planning issues would be opened up to the membership and it was encouraging that so many members attended the meeting to discuss the Nestle Station road proposal and made their feelings about the scheme clear by voting unanimously to reject it. BCA needs to continue to be vigilant on the planning front and the strengthening of the planning group was to be welcomed, with the addition of Derek Bodey and John Anfield as consultants.
Mike thanked the Association’s staff, the directors, volunteers and other committee members, and everyone else who had supported the Association.
Following the formal business of the AGM, Mike Wilde (Chair of the Membership and Communities Group) and Simon Fussell (Business Development Manager) gave an interesting and stimulating presentation on the recent project “Places and Spaces – telling the story of Buxton.”