Thanks to all those who made it along
The May 12th meeting included discussions on: i) crime on the high street; ii) how to potentially better organise the Association; and iii) how to feed back the results of the consultation on a new street market. Hopefully the summary below is a useful update.
We’re not making the assumption that people who have expressed an interest in the street market idea necessarily want to receive full minutes of meetings that cover other business alongside the market.
So if you would like to be sent the full minutes of this Association meeting, and other Association meetings in the future, please just email a request to:
info@chatsworthroade5.co.uk
Summary of Meeting: Chatsworth Road Traders & Residents Association
Date: 12/05/09
Venue: Wayside Centre, 24 Chatsworth Rd
Attending: 20 traders & residents, with Police Sergeant Wrathall from Leabridge Safer Neighbourhoods Team (SNT), as guest.
1. Introductions and order of business
It was explained that Jay Joshi, of Regal Pharmacy, had resigned as Chairman due to no longer having time to commit sufficiently to the Association’s activities.
It was clarified that Sgt. Wrathall was attending to listen to concerns in relation to crime.
2. Matters arising from previous minutes of meeting on 15.04.09
Main issues included: i) increase in business rates, plus information on Small Business Relief and how traders can apply; ii) confirmation that the public meeting on a new street market had gone ahead as planned on April 30th; iii) an update that the Chatsworth Market Festival group was due to dissolve itself and pass existing funds over to the Association.
3. Crime on the high street
Sgt. Wrathall and traders discussed the potential for expanding the electronic alarm system that only some shops have at present.
Traders related some recent incidents that were of concern, including threatening behaviour and robbery.
Sgt Wrathall gave clarifications on police response times and the larger scale of the police response when violence was involved.
He added that the priorities of the three SNTs that police Chatsworth Rd – Chatham Ward, Leabridge Ward and Kings Park Ward – are largely set by the concerns of those communities. He explained that ward panels meet every 6weeks. Two people volunteered to start attending Leabridge Ward and Kings Park Ward SNT panels as representatives of the Association.
4. The formal structure of the Association
Venetia Strangwayes-Booth (Association Secretary) made a presentation explaining the benefits and disadvantages of 3 potential models for the Association:
- For the Association to remain as an Association – running with a loose structure on a voluntary basis and remaining ‘not-for-profit’. This potentially allows some fundraising, but makes obtaining loans and entering into contracts difficult due to the issue of personal liability. In this model any new street market project might become overly dominant – other issues relating to the high street and the local community could get neglected.
- For the Association to convert itself into a Community Interest Company (CIC) – and becoming a limited liability company designed for social enterprise. This much more formal organisation requires the appointment of directors and a finance officer. Annual accounts must be submitted to Companies House and reports submitted to the independent CIC regulator to prove that it is serving the interests of the community. This model is NOT ‘not-for-profit’: a CIC is required to make a profit and to then use or re-invest that profit in a manner that is beneficial for the community. There are concerns that this model could become overly driven by ‘business’ and neglect the needs of local residents.
- For the Association to remain but to form a CIC to run a new market – i.e. the Association continues to work on all non-market related issues with volunteers forming committees and addressing the concerns of both traders and residents. Meanwhile any new market is managed by a CIC with a paid employee, and is answerable to the Association. There are concerns as to how the Association closely regulates the market CIC to ensure it is genuinely serving the needs of the whole community.
The meeting discussed the options. It was decided by unanimous vote that a new working group – an Operational Committee – should form and begin work on a draft constitution, on the basis of the third model: an Association and a market CIC, with the latter answerable to the former.
5. Forming a new ‘Operational Committee’
Two residents and two traders volunteered to form a new committee with a remit to consider how to proceed with the model for a better structured Association. This committee is to report back on its findings, with recommendations, at a meeting on August 11th. This will include presenting a draft constitution, with procedures and requirements.
It was agreed that the Operational Committee would refer to the Ridley Road market constitution, making appropriate adaptations to reflect full inclusion of local residents’ needs. It is also to consider:
i) Procedures for electing people to Association posts, including a new Chair.
ii) Defining membership of the Association.
iii) Binding rules & regulations.
iv) How the Association will control the market CIC.
6. Future of the Market Committee
It was clarified that the Market Committee had been formed at an Association meeting in late 2008, to look into the feasibility of a new street market.
It was clarified that the current public consultation exercise was due to conclude in the coming few weeks. After this a report will be produced on the responses from the community. It was agreed that the Market Committee would report back on the results of the consultation exercise at a meeting on July 14th. It was agreed that the Market Committee’s remit would at that point have been fulfilled and that it should then disband.
It was clarified that the Council’s support to a new market was crucial. It was agreed that all ‘next steps’ regarding approaching the Council would be a matter for discussion by the Association at the July 14th meeting or later, and did not come under the remit of the Market Committee.
The point was made that it was important for the Association to move very carefully towards developing the market idea, and to ensure that all necessary formal organisational structures were in place.
The issues of parking and traffic were again raised as being major aspects to be considered.
7. Any other business
Update given on action against derelict shops on Chatsworth Rd.
Update given on challenging residential conversions of shop units taking place without planning permission.
8. Next meeting of the Association
7pm, Friday, 12th June, Wayside Community Centre, 24 Chatsworth Rd