Draft Minutes of the Annual Meeting of General Council Held at the Gilbert Murray Conference

DRAFT MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL MEETING OF GENERAL COUNCIL HELD AT THE GILBERT MURRAY CONFERENCE CENTRE, UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER

21ST–22NDAPRIL 2012

ATTENDANCE LIST

*denotes a member of Council (voter)

1

Vice-Presidents

Andrew Bennett*

Geoff Eastwood*

Richard Lloyd Jones*

Cath MacKay*

Jerry Pearlman*

Malcolm Petyt*

Paddy Tipping*

Chairman

Rodney Whittaker*

Honorary Treasurer

Jonathan Kipling*

Board of Trustee member

Naseem Akhtar*

Kate Ashbrook*

Max Grant*

James Lawson*

Malcolm Newman*

Robert Peel*

Owen Plunkett*

David Thomson*

Keith Wadd*

Laurie Young*

Agenda Committee member

John Esslemont*

Elizabeth Lawie*

Eileen Linfoot*

Brian Reader*

Neill Schofield*

Avon Area

Jill Fysh*

Sylvia Popham*

Bedfordshire Area

Paul Boatfield*

Tony Kimble*

Berkshire Area

John Moules*

Lee Pattison*

Bucks, Milton Keynes & W Middx Area

John Elfes

Paul Rhodes*

John Wainwright*

Adam Young

Cambs & Peterborough Area

Janet Cartwright*

Stephen Horner*

Cheshire East Area

David Bates*

Cornwall Area

Graham Ronan*

Sylvia Ronan*

Derbyshire Area

Geof Cole*

Mike Hufton*

Devon Area

George Coles*

Joan Long*

Dorset Area

Laurie Fairhurst*

Kate Gocher*

E Yorks/Derwent Area

Les Atkinson*

Peter Ayling*

Pauline Hakeney

Dany Wlodarczyk

Essex Area

Kevin Clark*

David Harvey*

Mags Hobby*

Forth Valley, Fife & Tayside Area

Ben Douglas*

Gloucestershire Area

Jill Byrne

Richard Davis*

Bernard Gill

Mavis Rear*

Grampian Area

Anne MacDonald*

Alison Mitchell*

Greater Gwent Area

Maggie Thomas*

Greater Manchester & High Peak Area

Salle Dare*

Gloria Gaffney*

Hampshire Area

Vicky Booth*

Patric Curwen*

Peter Sollars*

Herefordshire Area

Tom Fisher*

June Handy*

Herts & N Middx Area

Roger Bangs

Phil Escritt*

Norman Jones

David Smith*

Highland & Islands Area

Vic Royce*

Inner London Area

Phil Marson*

Clare Wadd*

Isle of Wight Area

John Hague*

Michael Slater*

Kent Area

Alison Hargreaves*

Margaret Lubbock*

Lake District Area

Pauline Goodridge*

Leics & Rutland Area

Roy Denney*

Michael Parr

Peter Williams*

Lincolnshire Area

Geoff Mullett*

Stuart Parker*

Colin Smith

Miriam Smith

Merseyside & West Cheshire Area

Dave Callan

Margaret Hems*

Carol Walsh*

Mid Lancashire Area

Kevin Matthews*

David Morris*

Norfolk Area

Peter James*

Richard May*

Northamptonshire Area

David Craddock*

Andrew Knapman*

North & Mid Cheshire Area

Keith Doughty*

North East Lancs Area

Susan Baxendale*

Michael Counter*

North Strathclyde Area

Eleanor Peacock*

Barry Pottle*

Northumbria Area

Neil Allender*

Malcolm NcVey*

Tim McVey

North Yorks/S Durham Area

Jo Bird*

Simon Gotch*

Nottinghamshire Area

Judith Anson

Jenny Fillingham

Rod Fillingham*

Chris Thompson*

Oxfordshire Area

Dave Cavanagh*

Nick Morley*

Peter Stone

Pembrokeshire Area

George Allingham*

Jeanette Allingham*

Renfrewshire, Cowal & Bute Area

David Collinson*

Hilary Graham*

Shropshire Area

Peter Carr*

Joy Nisbet

Alison Parker*

Somerset Area

David Thompson*

Les Stather*

S Yorks/NE Derbys Area

Terry Howard*

Diane Parkin

Allen Pestell*

Staffordshire Area

Graham Evans*

George Greensides*

Muriel Taylor

Ted Taylor

Suffolk Area

Richard Tyson*

Roland Wilson*

Surrey Area

John Hauxwell*

Martin Matthews*

Sussex Area

Clive Grumett*

Stephen Kisko

Anne Parker*

Warwickshire Area

Bill Burton*

Leander Oldbury*

Andy Page

West Riding Area

Martin Bennett

Michael Church*

David Gibson*

Wilts & Swindon Area

Pat Crabb*

Margaret White*

Worcestershire Area

John Coleman*

Peter Wright*

HF Holidays

Alex Greenwood

Matthew Humphreys

Alison Smith

Brian Smith*

Long Distance Walkers Association

Paul Lawrence*

Open Spaces Society

Jean MacDonald*

Ramblers Holidays Group Ltd

Kathy Cook

Annette Cotter*

Tony Maniscalco

Ian Showell

Red Rope

Adrian Jones

Don Kinnibrugh*

Steve Wright

YHA (England & Wales)

Chris Hunt*

Guests

Jane Davidson

Des Garrahan

Steve Hindle

Huw Irranca-Davies

Joanna Irranca-Davies

Terri McNerney

Ian Wilkinson

Staff

Simon Barnett

Justin Bend

Paul Butler

Maria Castellina

Angela Charlton

Richard Colwill

Justin Cooke

Janet Davis

Des de Moor

Anastasia French

Richard Granville

Tony Hall

Lucy Humphrey

Dave Morris

Thomas Moulton

Sam Newby-Ricci

Gwenda Owen

Emma Pearson

Gemma Petty

Nicky Philpott

Clare Power

Hazel Robinson

Nicky Russell

Emily Shaw

Jo Smith

Benedict Southworth

Angelah Sparg

Rhiannon Wadeson

Robin Walton

Caroline Wheeler

Area Helpers

Anne Bates

Terry Bates

Bob Collins

Nick Crowley

Kiran Daxini

Anne Donegan

Elaine Easom

Sue Elliott

Rita Gildroy

Kay Gosling

Mark Hewitt

Rachel Hooke

John Howells

Vicky Howells

Martin James

Rob Jones

Nick King

Trevor Martin

Tom Merry

Audrey Osler

Mary Rooks

John Sim

Sue Sim

Jennifer Smith

Tony Smith

Ken Storer

Teresa Sykes

Andrea Wanless

Ken Wanless

Stan Warren

Sally Wilson

Mark Woodall

1

1WELCOME BY PETER WILLIAMS, LEICESTERSHIRE& RUTLAND AREA PRESIDENT

1.1On behalf of the Leicestershire & Rutland Area, Peter welcomed General Council to Leicestershire, observing that, with a heavy agenda, there would be little chance to get out into the beautiful towns and countryside of Leicestershire although he hoped delegates would be interested enough to come back at a future date to visit some of the delights that the area had to offer.

1.2He added that many of the Area’s local experiences might illuminate Council’s discussions. First and foremost was that in the early 1990s, Leicestershire (together with parts of Derbyshire and Staffordshire) became the location of the new National Forest, created to link Charnwood Forest in Leicestershire to Needwood Forest in Staffordshire. Included within its 200 square miles were the despoiled landscape of the South Derbyshire and North West Leicestershire coalfields, some magnificent former country estates around Calke, Bradgate and Staunton Harold and some fairly ordinary, but productive farmland. The area had been transformed since 1995, with the conversion of some 6% woodland cover to 19% today, and turning the former derelict landscape of the coalfields into a landscape that people flocked to visit. It now contained important sites such as the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, and a number of new Forestry Commission woodlands and sites, all to be linked by the National Forest Trail.

1.3At the time of the creation of the National Forest Company the government’s decision not to create woodlands or access by compulsion was controversial and there were many who said that without compulsory powers the project was doomed to failure. In the event, not only did the planting proceed apace but the improved access on the newly created woodlands gave access to 8,300 hectares of land in the developing forest. While this land did not have access on the scale of the rights granted under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act, its land was generally in areas where people wanted to walk, close to where they lived and felt welcome. His point was that compulsion is not necessarily the only way to create additional public benefit—and this might well have relevance to discussions on coastal access.

1.4The second experience which Peter shared was the successful partnership which Ramblers in the Area had developed with the highway authorities in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. They were fortunate in that rights-of-way budgets had been relatively well protected and that rights-of-way were seen as routes that providedsustainable transport options, were important for people’s health and wellbeing, and should be a core element of the infrastructure of a civilised society. In addition, a Get Walking Keep Walking funding award, based on the City of Leicester,had been made which would be supported by Ramblers Groups. There was also a ‘Gap, Gate and Stile’ programme under which, in the last five years, a stile a day has been removed from the network (about 1,800 obstructions).

1.5Peter finished by saying that Leicestershire & Rutland was a traditional Ramblers Area, focussing on rights-of-way campaigns and on encouraging Groups in their walking activities. The eight Groups organised some 1000 guided walks a year and actively protecteddefinitive rights. Many representatives from those Groups were present at General Council, working to make this an enjoyable, and hopefully successful, meeting. Peter hoped that Council would be a productive occasion and that all delegates would enjoy their time in Leicester.

2APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

2.1Apologies for absence were received fromAlan Mattingly, John Bunting and David Grosz (vice-presidents), Eleanor Harris, Andy Rogers and Denis McAteer (Board of Trustees), Damian Wheeler, and Jim Young.

3APPOINTMENT OF TELLERS AND SCRUTINEERS

Tellers: Bob Collins, Elaine Easom, John Howells, Vicky Howells, Mary Rooks, Audrey Osler, Andrea Wanless, Ken Wanless, Sally Wilson.

Scrutineers: Kay Gosling, Nick King, Tom Merry, John Sim, Sue Sim.

4MINUTES OF GENERAL COUNCIL 2011

Subject to the corrections listed below it was proposed by Cath MacKay, seconded by Owen Plunkett, and agreed, that the Chairman be authorised to sign the minutes of General Council 2011 as a correct record.

Attendance List: the East Yorks & Derwent Area delegate was Les Atkinson, not Len Atkinson

P.7, paragraph 7.4: the Appendix was not sent with the version of the minutes provided to delegates, or published on the Ramblers website.

P.8, paragraph 7.6: should refer to Nick Savage, not Mike Savage

P.17, Motion 12: should read “proposed by Elizabeth Lawie”

P.17, Motion 15 should read “was proposed”.

5AGENDA COMMITTEE REPORT

5.1Council noted a report from the Agenda Committee which had met to consider the resolutions,motions and amendments, and the order in which they should be debated.

5.2An amendment submitted by Shropshire Area to Motion 1 was ruled out of order on the grounds that if passed it would result in a material change to the nature of the motion. The Agenda Committee did not accept a representation from Renfrewshire, Cowal & Bute Area that their motion on subscription rates should have been considered before that of Dorset Area on the same subject. Although Motions 2 and 3 both dealt with subscription rates it was considered that they stood alone, and that the passing of one would not invalidate the other since it was for the Board to set subscription rates and the motions were only advisory.

6REPORT ON ACTIONS TAKEN TO IMPLEMENT MOTIONS PASSED OR REMITTED

6.1Council noted this report and a number of additional comments and questions were raised.

6.2Clare Wadd (Inner London Area) observed that the changes to Standing Orders made by Motion 1 at General Council in 2011 were not yet on the website and asked for this change to be made.

6.3John Esslemont (Agenda Committee) said that a written response on matters relating to Motion 4 on HS2 had been promised at General Council but had not yet been provided.

6.4Jerry Pearlman (Vice-President) said that he hoped that the Rights of Way Sounding Board would be involved in the review of the rights-of-way strategy referred to in the report on Motion 7 from 2010.

6.5Phil Marson (Inner London Area) expressed concern about the lack of progress with Motion 7 (Regional Structures), in particular in respect to the operation of the Ramblers in Greater London. He felt that this meant opportunities were being missed, for example, in the context of the forthcoming election for Mayor of London.

7ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS

7.1In presenting the accounts, Jonathan Kipling gave an overview of the financial situation. At the end of the financial year there was an operating surplus of £696,000, with over £2 million in unrestricted funds. The surplus had arisen because of legacies amounting to over £700,000 but it was impossible to budget for such income. However it did mean that the books had balanced. The surplus would be used for investment in new systems and to add to the fund set against long-term liabilities. Jonathan thanked Paul Butler and the Finance Team for all of their work during the course of the year and in preparing the accounts.

Questions and comments on the Annual Report and Accounts

7.2Council noted a paper setting out a number of written questions and answers on the Report and Accounts (this appears as an Appendix to these minutes). The following additional points were raised.

7.3Brian Reader (Agenda Committee) said that, following devolution, the fourth paragraph on p.24 was not accurate in respect of the functions of Scottish and Welsh Councils. The Chairman agreed that this should be corrected.

7.4Annette Cotter (Ramblers Holidays Group Ltd) queried the £780,000 pensions liability mentioned in Note 23 to the accounts. This amounted to 15% of the Ramblers income and so was a large sum. Paul Butler, Director of Finance and Administration, was invited to respond on this point. He explained that the liability would only arise if the Ramblers withdrew from the scheme which it had no intention of doing. It was also the case that the deficit fluctuated over time and that an actuaries’ update was expected at the end of May. The Chairman assured Council that the pensions liability was regularly discussed both by the Finance & Administration Sub-committee and the full Board. Neill Schofield (Agenda Committee) said that he was reassured by the Chairman’s comments because the Ramblers needed to be a responsible employer.

7.5John Esslemont (Agenda Committee) expressed concern that the report (p.7) appeared to misrepresent the ‘Mystery Walker’ scheme as a measure of legal compliance of the right-of-way network. Benedict Southworth accepted the point but said that the scheme needed to be viewed in the wider context of Ramblers strategy, in particular engagement with a wider public.

7.6John Esslemont also observed that there was an incomplete sentence in the second paragraph on p.13. This should have read “ … and we are about to start a new three-year Get Walking Keep Walking scheme in Leicester.”

7.7 Subject to necessary corrections, it was proposed by Brian Reader (Agenda Committee), seconded by John Hauxwell (Surrey Area) and agreed by Council that the Annual Report and Accounts for the year to 30 September 2011 be adopted.

8ELECTION OF OFFICERS

President:Kate Ashbrook

Proposed by Rodney Whittaker, seconded by James Lawson

Past presidents who automatically continue as vice-presidents:

Andrew Bennett, Julia Bradbury, Chris Hall, Mike Harding, Peter Melchett, Chris Smith, Janet Street-Porter.

Vice Presidents

John Bunting, Geoff Eastwood, John Foster, David Grosz, Jack Ibbott, Richard Lloyd Jones, Cath Mackay, Alan Mattingly, Jerry Pearlman, Malcolm Petyt, John Riddall, David Sharp, Paddy Tipping.

Proposed en bloc by Owen Plunkett and seconded by Naseem Akhtar

Chairman:Jonathan Kipling

Proposed by David Thompson, seconded by Robert Peel and Malcolm Newman

Honorary Treasurer:Robert Peel

Proposed by Max Grant and seconded by Keith Wadd and Naseem Akhtar

All officers were elected overwhelmingly by Council.

9APPOINTMENT OF AUDITORS

The firm of Crowe Clark Whitehill was proposed by Malcolm Newman, seconded by Jim Lawson and agreed by Council.

10ELECTION OF MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

There were five candidates for four ordinary Board member places. Candidates with the three highest votes were to serve for a term of three years, the candidate with the fourth highest vote was to serve for one year.

Des Garrahan, James Lawson and Mike Church were elected to serve for three years and Maggie Thomas for one year.

11AGENDA COMMITTEE

There was no ballot for membership of the Agenda Committee as there were five candidates and five positions available. The following persons would serve on the Agenda Committee:

John Esslemont, Elizabeth Lawie, Sylvia Popham, Brian Reader and Clare Wadd.

12RESOLUTIONS AND MOTIONS

12.1Council considered the addition to the agenda of two late motions.

12.2Geoff Mullett of Lincolnshire Area submitted a late motion as a matter of urgency on matters relating to Ramblers Worldwide Holidays and HF Holidays. Council voted by the required two-thirds majority to grant urgency and to debate the motion which is set out as motion [5A] below.

12.3Chris Thompson of Nottinghamshire Area submitted a late motion as a matter of urgency on matters relating to the 2026 cut-off date. Council voted by the required two-thirds majority to grant urgency and to debate the motion which is set out as motion [7A] below.

Motions

[1]Maintaining and Protecting Public Rights of Way

The following motion was proposed by Sylvia Popham of Avon Area and seconded by Jill Fysh of that Area.

This General Council considers that Areas and Groups have an increasingly important role in actively maintaining and protecting public rights of way.

This General Council requests the Board of Trustees to support, financially and otherwise, Areas and Groups in developing schemes providing local authorities with footpath maintenance services to professional standards by fully trained teams of volunteer wardens.

The following amendment was tabled by West Riding Area but was withdrawn without debate:

Add at end:

“Council also considers that any such scheme should be insured by the Local Authority rather than the Ramblers.”

The following amendment was tabled by Shropshire Area but was ruled out of order by the Agenda Committee as in their opinion it would result in a material change to the nature of the motion:

Re-write the motion to read:

“This General Council requests that the Board of Trustees make representation to central government that local authorities remove unnecessary bureaucratic obstructions that prevent volunteers from undertaking footpath maintenance work.”

The original motion was carried.

[2]Membership Subscriptions