Petersfield Area
Community Trust

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The AGM started at 19:30.

1.Welcome, AOBs, and introductions

Richard welcomed all present and introduced Philly as co-chair.

2.Minutes of last AGM and matters arising not on agenda.

Richard pointed out the Minutes on the chairs.

From the Open Forum last year, a lot of suggestions arose. Some key things that were done include the move away from the ImPACT magazine to a more lightweight & regular quarterly newsletter: this enables issues-of-the-moment to be aired.

No comments were forthcoming about last year's AGM.

A query was made about CityLife with relation to this building (the Arts Centre on Norfolk Street) once the site's current lease has lapsed. Richard pointed out that PACT hasn't been against CityLife per se, (on the contrary!) but merely against their original and inappropriate choice of site on St.Matthew's Piece. On the contrary, the use of the Arts Centre at 47 Norfolk St for CityLife would appear to be ideal, and PACT will strongly support any such move.

3. Chair's Report

This is Richard's last activity for PACT, as he's stepping down after standing as Chair since 2004.

Read the report here.

3.Treasurer's Accounts

Philly presented the accounts for this past year. Most of the figures were compiled by Glenys Malyon, and were then completed by Philly, and checked both by Richard as PACT's chair, and by the accountant (James Oram).

The income for 2008-09 was £3976. Expenditure £3065. Difference £911.

Accounts approved.

4.Elections

Richard and Dorothy are both standing down after some amazing years of contribution to PACT and to this community. THANK you!

The three remaining Trustees were nominated, seconded, and elected.

• Anna: proposed by Dorothy Runnicles, seconded by Catherine Slack

• Philly: proposed by Christine Bradley, seconded by David Ousby

• Daniel: proposed by Philly Owles, seconded by Harmke Kamminga

New volunteers will be coopted for the first few months before becoming full Trustees.

• David Clouter (proposed by Shirley Whitehouse, seconded by Lesley Tubb)

• David Ousby (proposed by Harmke Kaminge, seconded by David Clouter)

5.Constitutional amendments:

Proposal for changing the AGM to the summer, probably June: 14 in favour, no nays, no abstentions. Motion carried.

6.Gillian from Planning Aid stood up and spoke - they're part of the Royal Town Planning Institute, which offers free advice and consultation to groups such as PACT. They offer a helpline and people can ask advice (rather like Citizen's Advice for planning) ; and Planning - helping & advising people understand the process of planning.

7. Dorothy introduced Hoi-Yee Ng as community police officer for this area. Her contact phone number is 0773 6086934 [email protected]

8. Louise Boughey has wonderfully volunteered to help organise next year's Summer Event. [email protected]

9. PACT is a member of the county-wide linking structure "Cambridgeshire's Older People's Reference Group" (COPRG) and has contributed this year to the Cambridgeshire community study, undertaken by COPRG. 700 copies have been distributed, and an action programme has ensued on its recommendations. Furthermore, Dorothy Runnicles has been invited - partly on the strength of this - to address the regional and national bodies concerned with age issues at Westminster (convened by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation), and is involved with a forthcoming joint event with The Guardian newspaper.

Public Meeting: "Your community - your future"

Richard introduced the debate which we hope will allow us to address the issues dividing Riverside, and the patches on the further sides of East Road/Newmarket Road from the rest of the Petersfield Area. He introduced the speakers, Jonathan Brookes and Sarah Chubb from the Urban Design Team in the City Council; and the four areas displayed on the wall -

• Movement (how easy is it to move across the area / cycle / walk /cross roads etc), land use,
• Open Spaces (eg., parks, allotments etc),
• Land use, and
• Townscape (which buildings do we value, which would we like to see in the future.)

Jonathan asked attendees to think about what attendees like, dislike, and would like to see improved: eg., what opportunities would changes such as filling in Newmarket Road roundabout provide?

This is simply the first step in the process, as people start thinking of what they would like the area to become. What do people value in the area? Are there places people feel unsafe eg at night? Which pedestrian crossings are not well positioned?

Blue Sky Thinking:

This is the next phase: thinking about the kind of place we want the whole area to become, knitting together the areas north and south of Newmarket Road. Eg., creating more open spaces (and protecting existing ones!), revamping Newmarket Road / Elizabeth Way, overcoming the physical and psychological barriers which divide the areas.

Jonathan invited guests to take the next fortnight to send in further ideas. A resume of the main points brought this evening will be circulated to residents. He thanked all present for inviting Sarah and himself, and for attending the event themselves, and for contributing our ideas and thoughts.

The meeting closed at 9:20