Bletchley Park Area Residents’ Association
Minutes of the Annual General Meeting
Held in the Ballroom of the Mansion, Bletchley Park
At 7.30 pm on Tuesday, 29 April 2014
Present: Chris Simpson, Life President; Angie Ravn-Aagaard, Hon. Chairman; Derek Storey, Hon. Treasurer; Kathy Wilson, Hon. Secretary and thirty-four other members of the Association.
The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting, especially new members.
Apologies for Absence
Apologies were received from Mrs D. Hobbs, Ruth & David Murray, Sue & Ian Nixon, Shirley Ranns, Mrs. I. Smith and Lynne Watson
Minutes of the Meeting held on Tuesday 16 April, 2013
The Minutes of the meeting held on 16 April, 2013 were approved.
The 2013 Accounts had now been examined and passed by Robert Prosser FCA
Proposed: Ib Ravn-Aagaard. Seconded: Bill Malins
Chairman’s Report
The Hon. Chairman reported that:
- i) BPARA was once again fortunate to have Iain Standen, CEO of the Bletchley Park Trust, as the guest speaker for the evening.
- ii) Salden Chase Development
Shortly after last year’s AGM, the South West Milton Keynes Consortium held various public consultations on their new application to build on Salden Chase. West Bletchley Council has allocated resources to challenge this application when it is received and has been working with adjacent parishes, consultants and colleagues at Milton Keynes and Aylesbury Vale Councils. It is inevitable that the application will submitted later this year and we must be prepared. If the Consortium is successful this time, it could lead to further development later down the line.
iii) COBRA (Consortium of Bletchley Resident Associations)
As far as we are aware, no COBRA meetings have been held for almost a year. We were contacted about attending a meeting last December but nothing materialised.
- iv) Bletchley Transport Strategy Group (Formerly Bletchley Transport Working Group)
Jointly sponsored & led by Bletchley & Fenny Stratford Town Council & WBC, for some time, BPARA officers and committee members have been actively involved with the group. We attended meetings held in April and July 2013 and items discussed included the impact of the East-West Rail link on Bletchley Station & transport issues around MK Dons stadium & Retail Park.
It was also agreed that alternative meetings would in future be held in the evening. At the July meeting the main item was Salden Chase.
A further meeting was held in January. However, neither BPARA nor Helen Hupton, Clerk to WBC were invited. New membership rules were agreed which we have since learned excludes Residents’ Associations. The intention is to have 1 representative from a revived COBRA and to invite the Neighbourhood Action Groups. To date West Bletchley NAG has not been invited, nor has BPARA been sent minutes although it was agreed that minutes would be circulated to all RA’s in Bletchley.
- v) Matters raised by Bletchley Park members & others
A number of calls have been received, from both BPARA members and non-members, regarding their dissatisfaction with the general condition of the Bletchley Park Estate.
MK Council did enforce the removal of the builders’ compound last year. However, there is inadequate fencing and landscaping, particularly in the area around the derelict G Block. This has led to gangs of youths entering the building. G Block is no longer part of BP Trust but is owned by Bletchley Park Capital Partners, who also own the Old Canteen in Wilton Avenue.
There is planning money to be spent on a children’s play area on this development but WBC has queried whether the money should be spent here. We replied to WBC that this play area should go ahead due to the number of young families living in this area, who currently have to cross the busy Whalley Drive to get to the nearest play area.
vi) BPARA
Four newsletters have been distributed this year and three committee meetings have been held. The newsletters now include news from meetings of other groups, including WB Neighbourhood Action Group, which are attended by BPARA officers.
At last July’s meeting, the Committee agreed that Chris Simpson, co-founder and cornerstone of BPARA, should be made Life President in recognition of her services over the last 24 years.
Following the Chairman’s Report, Chris enlarged on the role of the West Bletchley Neighbourhood Action Group.
Secretary’s Report
Kathy Wilson, who succeeded Chris as Hon. Sec., expressed her thanks to both Angie and Chris for all their time spent easing the handover. Particularly Chris, who’d been trying to ‘retire’ for some time.
The Hon. Sec. then reported on the following:
- i) Rickley Park
- Transfer of Land from MK Council to WBC under the terms of the Community Asset Transfer Programme was currently being completed. (Further details could be found on the MKC website).
- WBC had circulated a ‘1 in 10’ questionnaire to local residents inviting responses to suggestions on how to increase usage of the space.
- Splash Park Proposal – WBC had been assessing the feasibility of a children’s splash park to be located at the south end of Rickley Park. The Council had instigated a 1 in 10 household postal survey to obtain residents’ views & further consultation was likely to follow. Advice from MKC Highways Engineer was also awaited. Concern had been raised about the manner in which these issues had been communicated to residents. Much information was channelled through informal conversations amongst residents and park users (and BPARA) rather than official communications from WBC or MKC.
- ii) Neighbourhood Plan – WB Neighbourhood Steering Committee
The Hon. Sec. outlined the details of neighbourhood planning and the role of the WB Steering Committee in implementing it. Meetings had been attended by the Chairman or Secretary. The Committee had opted to focus on 4 main areas – Bletchley Park, Bletchley station & surrounding area; Parks & Open Spaces; garage blocks & shopping areas.
iii) Planning Issues
- Nothing to report on the ex-SERCO depot on Sherwood Drive other than the possibility of the site being developed by MKC for social housing.
- Demolition of the station house at Bletchley had been carried out over the last few weeks. Planning permission was not required as the property was owned by Network Rail.
- There had recently been a planning application for change of use of a house on the Bletchley Park estate from a residential property to a care home for 4 adults with special needs. This was a resurrection of an earlier application which had been turned down. BPARA supported residents’ objections on the grounds that the location was unsuitable, the property not large enough to allow 4 residents and 2 carers to have adequate private space indoors or allow exercise outdoors. Also parking of extra vehicles could cause problems.
- iv) Other Matters
- A piece of public art had now been installed outside Bletchley Station, representing a BP hut & a map of the area. This had been commissioned with S106 money.
- The former BP canteen in Wilton Avenue is now owned by Bletchley Park Capital Partners. The site is being cleared gradually & the owners guarantee that there will be rooms available in the completed development for public use. Nothing further to report apart from one or two instances of trespassing/vandalism.
- In reply to a query from BPARA member, David Murray, regarding the appropriateness of the new ward boundaries, the response from WBC’s Clerk, Helen Hupton was as follows:
“…WBC did not support the new boundary proposals and did suggest an alternative proposal. WBC considers that the current boundaries of the parish are appropriate. The last Parish Boundary Review undertaken by MKC in 2010 also considered that to be the case.
In 2013 population size across the 10,200 parish councils in England ranges from single figures to around 49,000. We would consider West Bletchley’s population of just over 22,000 to be sensibly placed within that range. Whilst we cannot forecast the implications of the new ward boundaries please be assured that the interests of our parish and its residents will remain our priority in responding to any associated issues that arise.”
- David & Janice Hale will be opening their garden at 126 Church Green Road on 22 & 24 June as part of the National Gardens Scheme. Admission £3.
- Another “Love Bletchley” Day is to be held on Saturday 3rd
There followed questions from the floor:
– “What is a Splash Park?” (Peter Jarvis)
– Where was the property which was the subject of the care home application?
- Hon. Treasurer’s Report
- i) Accounts
The Hon. Treasurer presented the accounts for the year ending 31 March 2014. He reported that there were 214 paid up members to date.
Total income for the year was £441.00 and total expenditure £251.59, giving a surplus of £189.41. The accumulated fund now stands at £500.73. Subscription remains at £2.00 per household.
ii) Donation to Bletchley Park
It was agreed that a donation of £200 should be paid to Bletchley Park for the use of the Ballroom for the AGM as BPARA is not charged for its use.
iii) Auditor
The Association is fortunate in having secured the services of Robert Prosser FCA who has examined the accounts for the year ending 31 March 2013.
Adoption of the accounts was approved.
Proposed: Peter Jarvis. Seconded: Ib Ravn-Aagaard
Peter Jarvis then asked where new members came from?. Chris replied that this was largely due to Angie’s “door knocking”.
Election of Officers
i) All officers having agreed to stand again, Peter Jarvis proposed their re-election for one more year. Seconded: Fiona Storey.
ii) Committee Members and Representatives
The Chairman thanked committee members and representatives for their help during the year. New representatives had also been recruited. Debbie Castell would be covering Archers Wells, Highfield Close & Home Close; Nicky Staples will again cover part of Church Green Road and Rosie Kerridge Hinsley Walk, Colossus Way & Ultra Avenue. Shirley Ranns had now stepped down and Peter Jarvis proposed a vote of thanks to her for her long service to BPARA. There was also a small gift from the Association which the Chairman would pass to her.
The Chairman also thanked the Hon. Treasurer for his work and Pete Ager for his continued work on the layout of the newsletters.
Adoption of all three officers’ reports was approved. Proposed: Peter Jarvis. Seconded: Sue Jarvis
Any Other Business
There was further discussion about aspects of the new Bletchley Park estate and Barry Butcher raised concerns about the survival of wildlife around the estate, including bats and badgers.
Finally, Fiona Storey thanked the Chairman for all her hard work throughout the year on behalf of the Association.
There being no other business, the meeting closed at 8.15pm .
The business meeting was followed by refreshments, kindly provided by Bletchley Park. Iain
Standen, the Chief Executive Officer of the Bletchley Park Trust, then addressed the meeting.
He gave details of the long-anticipated opening of the new visitors’ reception area (Block C)
and the refurbished Huts 3 & 6. He invited members of the Association who were present to
a preview on Sunday 11 May, prior to the official VIP opening.
