Minutes of the Risborough Area Business Group AGM

Held at Princes Risborough School on 10th October 2006 at 1900 Hrs

 

Attendees

 

 

President L.Adlam :L.Adlam Architects

M.Thomas :Coppins B&B

J.Cumming  :Jinca Ltd

Chairman G.Wiles :IFC

J.Thomas :Coppins B&B

N.Cook :Jinca Ltd

Hon Sec P.Pitcher :P.A.M.

J.Hughes :Corporate Comms

S.Marriott : PR School

H.Brown :Pickles Delicatessen

M.Adlam :Adlam Reprographics

A.Smith :J Smith & Sons

M.Pitcher: P.A.M. Ltd

 

 

 

 

Item

Topic

1

Chairman’s Welcome

 

The Chairman opened the meeting by welcoming everyone to the AGM.

 

2

Apologies for Absence received from:

P.Keen :Hypnos

C.Etholen :CAE Marketing

S & J.Barker: Inca Studio

S.Barns :Art & Office

C.Williams :Business Link

B.Bendyshe-Brown: B3CSL

B.Clark: Birtchnells

N.Faux :Risborough Police

C.Wise : Wise Solicitors

L.Wager : SideView

M.Shuttle :David Shuttle

 

 

 

 

3

Annual Statement: Chairman

Your town, your future

Your community your voice

Business voice is RABG

Originally a Bill and Lance initiative

 

Chairman’s role:  “A job where all you have to do is sit and chair a meeting!!”

Been here 20 years and this year learned more about Risborough politics in 1st 2 months than had gathered over 20 years

 

So 12 months and what have we talked about and possibly achieved?

 

Came across obscure things such as surveys for:

Car parking fees

Areas of premises

Shops list

Rates prices

 

Car Parking                              Presentation:                 Robin WDC and his boss

Planning                                    Presentation:                 Richard Grant                                      

Need for planning flexibility/Congestion Relief

2035 Study                                Presentation:                 David Lock, Lawrence Revell   

Meetings at Legion got most points across

A4010                                      Public Meeting and transport committee representations

Town Festival                           Presentation:                 Reg Orsler

            Rep (Mary Shuttle) now on committee

Business Presentations               Various

Chinnor Railway                        Presentation:                 Richard Floyd (died recently)

Meetings since with railways

Business Link                            Presentation:                 Christine Williams

Employment Law                      Presentation:                 Peninsular

Members scheme reduced price

Waste                                       Presentation:                 WDC

Fly tipping fines and recycling

Neighbourhd Policing/NAG        Presentation:                 Nigel Faux

4 Members on NAG

Risborough Upper School           Presentation:                 Stuart Marriott                                     

Governor, Paul – Mentors – Milk Round

Grants                                      Presentation:                 John Vessey

RRO Fire Safety                       Presentation:                 IFC

Risborough Rewards                 Presentations:                Mike and his sub group             

Ready for launch subject to legal issues

RACA                                      Steering and group sub committees reps             

RABG/RACA working together as groups

CCTV                                      Lots of lobbying Now being implemented we are told

Press coverage                         Herald and Bucks Free Press & RADIO!!

Railway/Hypnos site                  Representation of business views at several committee meetings. 

Provision for business space and not dormitory

Transport                                  Speed limits/ Culverton Crossroads

Grants for Broadband                Presentation:                 Pam’s energetic delivery

Quilt show                                Simon success

Town Council                             Presentation to come   

Football and potential legal cases from our Mayor “allegedly”.

Removal WDC rep Carl Etholen

B2B                                         Started first annual event

Tourism & Funding                    Presentation to come     Frances Gomme

Signs donation

Newsletter                                Started compiling

Socials                                      Christmas/Bills BBQ/ Hearing Dogs

 

Work items for next 12 months

Small Business Federation connections

Coverage in CrossTalk

Special Parking Area (SPA)      To monitor and lobby

Rates                                        To monitor and lobby

PRTC                                       To come, working together

Ring Round                               To come

Membership/PR                        To increase profile

MP                                           David Lidington (Aylesbury), building conduits and confidence.

John Bercow (Buckingham - met at weekend and scheduled meeting)

Market meetings/Town Forum   Dennis Green and Alan Turner meetings monthly

High Street Study                      Special meeting for businesses to be arranged

 

Thanks to all of the helpers this year.  Especially:

Pam for secretarial

Heather for food at meetings and clearing up

Mike for chairing the Rewards task group

John/Carl/Bill for info and feedback

Paul for Governors at School

Lance for guidance

A job where all you have to do is sit and chair a meeting!!

 

4

Annual Statement: Secretary

Minutes of seven meetings have been distributed together with additional information from speakers:

November: Marylene Mansfield-Williams CEAC presentation

Grundon waste management services

February:   Survey of Risborough shops

June:           Analysis of WDC car parking costs & charges

eBucks Broadband Initiative information packs

July:            Wycombe Development Framework presentation

Rural Business Diversification (WDC) pack

September: Peninsular Business Services’ Changes in Employment Law pack

IFC’s summary of the new fire regulations

Risborough 2035 Study summary

 

Membership: currently 94 businesses are on our email listing with a further 12 who are contacted via post.  Average attendance at meetings is 20 - 26 people

RABG website currently features 15 businesses

5

Annual Statement: Treasurer

In the absence of the Treasurer, the Chairman presented the following:

“Due to the indecision over when to charge members of the RABG for their subscriptions and subsequent change over of officers, there have only been a small number of members who have paid their 2005/6 dues.

I am awaiting bills from Pickles for their catering support for our monthly events and so our final balance is an overstatement of our current financial position.

We require a decision from the AGM on subscription rates for 2006/7.  I will then issue bills during October/November.

I have made contact with Business Link to refresh our business database and will be pursuing this during November”

 

RABG Balance Sheet 2005/6

Income

£

Expenditure

£

Opening balance

2,957.41

PAM Ltd (website etc)

201.26

Subscriptions

70.00

 

 

 

========

 

========

Total

3,027.41

Total

201.26

Surplus/(Deficit)

2,826.15

 

Payments agreed and currently outstanding include:

·         £200 to RACA for notice boards

·         £700 to Risborough Rewards to help launch loyalty scheme and contribute towards the costs of printing and development of the Risborough Rewards website.

 

It was agreed that those members who have paid to date will have their membership carried forward to 05/2007.

 

The proposal to increase the membership fee to £20 from May 2007 was carried unanimously.

 

Following a query why RABG was making a £200 donation to RACA, John Hughes (RACA) explained that although £40K has been promised from SEEDA for the Tourism project, this amount must be match funded.  Chiltern Conservation, WDC & BCC will be contributing, and it was hoped that RABG and local businesses will also give donations.  The Tourism project aims to raise footfall in Risborough by 10% in the first year.  A footfall study has already been done and the results should be ready soon.

 

The Treasurer’s report, proposed Graham Wiles, seconded Lance Adlam, was accepted.

 

The issue of there being no independent review of the accounts was raised.  It was agreed that an independent accountant or auditor to review the accounts should be appointed and this should be written into the constitution, which when drafted and available will be presented to the members for ratification at an EGM to be appended to a monthly meeting.  Similarly the signatories on cheques and the time lapse for paying cheques should be reviewed and included in the constitution.

Lance Adlam explained that the money to start RABG was donated by the old Chamber of Trade.  There may be some more funds when the Chamber of Trade is finally wrapped up.

  

6

Election of RABG Officers and RABG representatives on local committees

Position

Nominee

Proposed by

Seconded by

Officers

 

 

 

President

Lance Adlam

Mike Pitcher

John Hughes

Chairman

Graham Wiles

Martyn Thomas

Heather Brown

Vice-chairman

Mike Pitcher

Graham Wiles

John Hughes

Secretary

Pam Pitcher

Heather Brown

Jill Thomas

Treasurer

Bill Bendyshe-Brown

Lance Adlam

Martyn Thomas

Membership secretary )

Press officer                )

Heather Brown

Mike Pitcher

Lance Adlam

Representatives

 

 

 

RACA economy

Peter Keen

Graham Wiles

John Hughes

RACA environment

Martyn Thomas

Lance Adlam

Pam Pitcher

RACA transport

Graham Wiles

Pam Pitcher

Mark Adlam

RACA community

Heather Brown

Graham Wiles

Lance Adlam

Town festival

Mary Shuttle

voted in at July meeting

RACA steering group

Graham Wiles

Ann Smith

Mike Pitcher

School governor

TBA

 

 

As no nominations had been received for Press officer, Heather Brown offered to take on this role as well as Membership secretary.

All officers and representatives were elected unanimously.

 

Stuart Marriott is very keen for someone to replace Paul Jeffries as RABG representative on the school’s board of governors.  He outlined the commitment required and explained that training would be given if needed.  If anyone is interested, please contact him directly.  Information on the involvement of being a school governor is included under Appendix A of  these minutes

 

7

AGM closed at 20:30

 

 


 

Minutes of the Risborough Area Business Group Monthly Meeting

Held at Princes Risborough School on 10th October 2006 at 20:30 Hrs

 

Item

Topic

1

Chairman’s Welcome

 

The Chairman reopened the meeting following the AGM.

 

2

Presentation

Apologies from Princes Risborough