AGM 2004

MINUTES OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Held at the Emsworth Day Centre, South Street, Emsworth
on Friday, 22nd October 2004 at 8.OOpm

Present:

Mr. A. Townsend (Chairman)
Miss E. H. Smith (Hon. Membership Secretary)
Mr. M. Phillips (Hon. Treasurer)
Mr P Archer
Mr A Wilkinson
Mr R Clifton
Mr. R. Alexander
Mr. C. Montague
Mr. N. Madinaveitia

34 Full Members and 9 Associate Members

The Chairman welcomed the Members present and thanked them for attending.

(1) Apologies for Absence
Mr. & Mrs. S. Buck, Lt. Col. & Mrs. J. Schofield, Mr. D. Davison, Mr. J. Harrison, Mr. R. Panter, Mr. J. Barlow, Mr. & Mrs. B. Hailstone, Mrs. R. Burley, Miss K Mulcahy, Mr. & Mrs. D. Urry

(2) Minutes of previous A.G.M.
The Minutes of the last Annual Genera] Meeting held on Friday, 31st October 2003, having previously been circulated, were approved and signed by the Chairman.

(3) Matters arising
The Chairman stated that the Committee had reconsidered the question concerning whether we should have two sorts of membership as at present, or just have Full Members all with the same voting rights, and had decided that we would remain as we are. The feeling was that if we had only Full Members it would be possible for a large group of people from afar to join the Association, out-vote the local people and set up some commercial enterprise on the Pond. This cannot happen with the existing Constitution.

(4) Chairman's Report
"I was elected Chairman in 1995 and as you know I am now retiring.

The Pond is essentially the same. We continue to preserve the Pond for the quiet enjoyment of the public. Over 9 years there have been some notable events which I would like to mention: 1994 Floods (report by Rofe in 1996 implied that the pond with its gates held back the flood and aggravated the flooding) After further floods and a Report (J. Burgess 2001) the Authorities agreed that "allowing the tidal gates to operate as designed with the sluice open does not aggravate flooding at Lumley Cottages"
Repairs to widening cracks in the Tide Gate walls (palliative only), Repairs to Tide Gates, Replacement of Sluice Paddle (Mill Association), Granting of "Site of Natural Conservation Importance" status from the Environment Agency
Ensuring that 2 building sites did not discharge flood water with contamination into Peter or Slipper Ponds
An agreement between the Environment Agency and Chichester District Council for site in Hermitage. Construction will start shortly.
Provision of Kissing Gates in 2004 at each end of the footpath Reduction of hooliganism both before and after Miscellaneous bank repairs in 2003 and 2004
My thanks are directed to many people, both on the Committee and others associated with Chichester Harbour Conservancy and Chichester District Council, and many others.
Over the last two years we have adapted a more pro-active approach with regard to the maintenance of the Pond
Two members of the Committee need specific mention:- Nick Medina, with his wide experience in the construction industry, has found many defects in the banks and has planned and managed all the repair work carried out this year using an army of aging and younger volunteers, many of whom are here this evening.
The southern bank, which is exposed to the sea, has had a lot of attention, both on the pond side and the sea side, where massive undercutting of the wall in the area of the tide gates was found. The void was filled with concrete and the wall itself was buttressed with a large block of concrete. This involved strong shuttering and pumping liquid concrete.
In the west bank a large void was found and this was suitably filled with aggregate and concrete. On the pond side undercutting at the bottom of the wall was prevalent along its whole length except where reeds were growing. Nick employed a surveyor with a radar device to investigate this wall more filly. No more problems were discovered. The working party, using many bags of concrete, have filled much of the undercutting. There is still another day's work needed on this. It has been decided to experiment with putting rolls of matting, sown with reeds, on the pond side where there are no reeds at the moment. Nick will be considering what to do with the river side of the wall.
While this work is going on we have to persuade Chichester District Council to repair the footpath which is now well worn down.
Nick is managing and will continue to manage this large maintenance programme. He has obtained financial help from a number of authorities such as Chichester Harbour Conservancy. Roy Mariner, a particular friend of the Pond, was a great help with the west bank repairs, letting us have bags of concrete and a motorised wheelbarrow at discount rates. We are very grateful for this.
Tony Wilkinson is retiring from the Committee after many years. He has applied himself to legal problems as well as biodiversity. He has had the notices made and with a little assistance has got them in place. He has been negotiating over the years with West Sussex County Council, Chichester District Council and Southbourne Parish Council concerning the footpath and the installation of kissing gates. In order to overcome this multi-layered bureaucracy he has needed the help of other organisations such as Chichester Harbour Conservancy. You will see that the gates are in place. Our objective, of course, is to prevent cycling and motor-cycling on the

how Arthur had tirelessly pursued the drainage (into our Pond) from the Hermitage site, and many other items which have never been mentioned other than in the Committee. We are all going to miss him (and his sherry) at our meetings.

Nick Medina then turned his attention to Tony Wilkinson who was leaving the Committee which he has served enthusiastically for 8 years. He intends to remain an active member of the Association, helping particularly with the footpath, as well as the other working parties. He has not succeeded in persuading the County Council to prohibit (by Byelaw) cycling and other anti-social behaviour. They have indicated that they will not be taking this further for the time being.

In his discussions with the Authorities he has succeeded in persuading the County Council to consider helping us up-grade the footpath's surface to disability access standards and has won the support of the Conservancy in this.

We look forward to a long, continuing association and wish him well for the future.

Pam Wilkinson proposed a vote of thanks to all those who had been working on the pond banks, thereby saving the Association a lot of money.

The meeting closed at 9.3Opm.

P. Archer - in the absence of Mrs. I. Buck (Hon. Secretary)