Post date: Oct 15, 2009 8:20:58 PM
Notes of St Peters Steering group meeting held on Friday 9th May at 11.00am
Present: Cllr Stephen Robinson (chair, SR), Lynne Foster (Sec, LF), Rev Paul Greenland (PG), Jill Smith Hughes (JSH), Darren Moore (DM), Cllr Jude Deakin (JD), Ray Brackley (RB), Charlotte Spooner (CS).
Apologies: Rev. Tom Page, Stephen Clare, Sue Bell
1 Introductions. Everyone introduced themselves and their reason for being at the meeting. SR gave an update and précis of previous work and purpose of the meeting.
2. Formation of a Community Trust - background reasons
Purpose is wider than just the former St Peters school
There is no Parish Council for the area to take this project forwards
Best legal form to adopt - SR detailed some of the choices available:
charity with members of the association
company limited by guarantee
Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)
Industrial and Provident Society – a possibility in the future, if we wished to issue shares or use assets to borrow against.
The meeting agreed to create a registered charity, a formal membership organisation with a membership fee.
3. Trust Constitution. Agreed to adopt the model charity commission constitution, with relevant alterations. LF to circulate.
4. Objects of the charity were agreed to include
The development and management of a community centre on the St Peters school site in order to facilitate
Other commmunity buildings
Community and individual capacity building
Education
Relief of Poverty
Promotion of Equality and Diversity
Area of benefit – North of river Cam and West of river Chelmer.
5. Trustees – It was agreed there should be between 6 – 9 trustees. LF, Rev PG and JSH had agreed to be initial trustees. LVF to contact people/organisations on contact list who had previously expressed interest in the project to check their continued interest and wish to participate.
6. Membership Fee – Agreed £5.00 per annum.
7. Banks. Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) Bank was considered as it provides online banking with 2 permissions needed for expenditure. HSBC can be used to pay cash in. Essex Community Foundation might also hold funds. PG to investigate CAF bank and to set up a bank account.
8. Public Meeting. Agreed to hold a public meeting on 23rd July at 7.30 pm in St Andrews church hall.
9. St Peters site. Decisions will be made in late May re disposal and use of the site. SR and JD had lobbied members and staff to demolish the existing obsolete building and undertake a rebuilding programme in order to rebuild on a smaller plot and therefore provide a larger capital receipt for the council by disposing of the remainder of the site. The proposal is to provide special needs facilities. Once the decision re the site had been made the government would have to consent to a disposal and might re-designate e.g. for a free school. We would have to wait to see if the minister for Education wished to take action after agreement to dispose of the site.
Currently Thriftwood College, Kids Inspire, Carealot nursery and the model railway club were operating on the site.
CHP had been along to a previous meeting and discussed possible development to include special schools, football pitches, children's play areas, a Community centre and some new housing.
Community centre to include pavilion and changing rooms for the pitches, possibly to be a base for a local football club.
Discussed planning brief from Chelmsford City Council – SR will circulate as an attachment.
Date and time of next meeting
12 noon Tuesday 10th June. LVF to check with Debbie Wilson if this is convenient.