Derby Cycling Group
Annual General Meeting
Friends’ Meeting House, Derby DE1 3GY
19.00 (7pm), Tuesday 12th June 2007
Agenda
1 Apologies
2 Minutes of AGM 2006
3 Matters Arising
4 Annual Report
5 Secretary’s Report (Membership)
6 Treasurer’s Report
7 Election of Committee (nominations attached)
8 AOB
On termination of the formal part of the business there will be a short presentation by David Powner, Project Manager for Connecting, Derby City Council.
The meeting should close around 21.00 (9pm)
1 Apologies:
Minutes of AGM 16th May 2006 (taken by Emma Eacocks)
Barbara Rathbone, John Palmer, Les Sims, Esther Wadsworth, Martin Aldred, Mavis Ratcliffe, Ian Petitt, Graham Patient, Julian Tubbs, Paul Sandford.
2 / Minutes of previous AGM (May 2005)
John Stubbs read these out. Agreed as correct
Proposed / Alastair Johson
Seconded / Martin Quarton
3 / Matters Arising
· None
4 / Annual Report / John Stubbs
· JS presented the annual report in both verbal written form and asked for its acceptance by the meeting. Accepted
Proposed / Alan Locke
Seconded / Mark Brown
5 / Secretary’s Report / Barbara Rathbone
· Written report submitted. As BR had sent apologies JS gave update on present state of membership. Membership figures are notably lower than last year, probably as members who have not renewed have been removed from the list more ruthlessly than previously.
· Accepted
Proposed / Alan Locke
Seconded / Bella Stewart
6 / Treasurer’s Report / John Palmer
· Written report submitted. As JP had sent apologies JS gave report on financial situation. DC requested clarification of the amount in the bank account as DCG has more funds than he had expected. JS explained this was largely due to significantly reduced expenditure due to increasing email distribution of newsletters, asking members to send an SAE if they want to receive a membership card and to generous donations from members. As such, it was proposed there was no change to membership subscription fee.
· Accepted
Proposed / Richard Butlar
Seconded / Andy Salkeld
7 / Election of Committee / John Stubbs
· Table of positions and nominees to those positions was presented to the meeting. David Clasby pointed out that people interested in joining the committee wouldn’t have to fill the positions that are vacant on the table. It was also noted that you don’t have to be a committee member to attend the DCG meetings which take place on the first Tuesday of every month from 7.30pm at the Brunswick Inn, Station Road, Derby. JS added that he can send an agenda if he knows of planned attendance in advance.
· 7.1 Under DCG constitution only 10 committee members are allowed with 4 being the minimum for quorum. Suggested there is an increasing scope of activities and more participation of members, also a quorum is usually an odd number. Therefore, JS proposed a change to the constitution to allow an increase in the number of committee members to 15 with the minimum number for quorum being 5.
· Agreed
Proposed / Alan Locke
Seconded / Ken Clarke
· 7.2 Nominations to committee positions as tabled
· Agreed
Proposed / Richard Butlar
Seconded / Bella Stewart
· David Clasby said he would like to propose Ken Clarke to the committee and he accepted
Proposed / David Clasby
Seconded / Alastair Johnson
· Dave Clasby pointed out that there are rules for co-option and that members may be co-opted onto the committee prior to elections (if committee members are below the maximum number in the constitution).
8 / AOB / John Stubbs
· Bella Stewart, Cycle Derby Project Co-ordinator kindly gave a presentation to the meeting and answered questions about Derby as a National Cycling Demonstration Town. Further information can be found at www.nationalcyclingstrategy.org.uk
· Andy Salkeld informed the meeting that everyone was invited to a meeting regarding the recycling of bikes in Leicester on Saturday 27 May. John Stubbs said he would circulate full details upon receipt of them from Andy.
· David Clasby and John Stubbs thanked Bella Stewart on behalf of DCG for the invaluable work she has done for cycling in Derby over the years and in particular for her work in securing cycle demonstration town status and the associated funding.
Date and venue for next AGM
19.00 (7pm) 15th May 2007 at Friends Meeting House, St Helens Street, Derby. DE1 3GY
As there was no further business John Stubbs closed the AGM at 21.00 (9pm)
3 Matters Arising
4 Chair’s Annual Report, 2007
4.1 DCG Committee, 2006-2007
At the last AGM (17th May 2006) the following committee was elected for 2006-2007:
Position / Nominee1 / Chair / John Stubbs
2 / Secretary (Membership) / Barbara Rathbone
3 / Treasurer / John Palmer
4 / Web master / Alastair Johnston
5 / Newsletter production / David Burbridge
6 / Newsletter distribution / Esther Wadsworth
7 / Schools Liaison / David Clasby
8 / Railway Station Liaison / Martin Aldred
9 / Events co-ordinator / Martin Quarton
10 / Minutes Secretary / Emma Eacocks
11 / Derby Cycle Forum / Alan Locke
12 / CTC Representative / Ian Alexander
13 / County & South Derbyshire Liaison / David Waldram
14 / Travelwatch East Midlands / Vacant
15 / EMTARS / Vacant
4.2 General issues arising from AGM 2006
At the last AGM it was reported that membership growth and retention had again been rather problematic during the year. Regrettably this still remained the case during the past year.
The below report is presented under the four headings of: cycle promotion, cycling infrastructure, transportation planning, and community representation.
4.3 Cycle Promotion 2006-2007
As in previous years, this has taken the form of attending a variety of public events around Derby and providing, cycle information stalls, cycle parks and bike tryouts of unusual and interesting machines. Events associated with National Bike Week, Derby City Council’s Go Wild programme, the Darley Park concert have all been focal points for DCG activity. Continuing a trend started just a few years, more short ‘family friendly’ rides were organised during the year to attract the less confident cyclist. These rides mainly focused on the off-road cycle routes to the nearby settlements of Melbourne, Elvaston Castle and Etwall.
The year has seen the DCG working alongside the newly established CycleDerby project, charged with the responsibility of fulfilling the requirements of Cycle Demonstration Town Status. The Cycle Demonstration Town status of Derby was used by the DCG as the platform for starting, in 2005/06, a biannual East Midlands regional cycle event. This trend was continued in November 2006, with Nottingham Pedals organising the second event of this kind. Again it was a very successful and enjoyable day.
Without doubt the high point of the year was the hosting of the CTC/CCN conference on Saturday 19th May and for this reason the 2007 AGM has been delayed to mid June. While the number attending the conference was a little lower than had been hoped for, the entire event passed off very well with some very positive feedback from conference delegates. All this was a great tribute to all those who had worked so hard organising the event.
4.4 Cycle Infrastructure
Starting with the low points, the rejection by City Council members of a proposal to allow out of hours cycling in the City Centre pedestrianised area was indeed a setback following the long campaign to achieve this. Efforts to have the City Centre – Allestree cycle route via Markeaton Street upgraded seem to have foundered following the construction of a new campus of the University of Derby at the end of Markeaton Street. The inability to secure the re-opening of the cycle path between Deadman’s Lane and Orient Way (Pride Park) after years of closure is also disappointing.
On a more positive note however, the long closed Riverside Side cycle path at the Silk Mill finally reopened in September while the long campaign with the Highways Agency to have a cycle path built alongside the A38 between Markeaton Roundabout and Raleigh Street finally came to fruition. Efforts to secure more and better cycle parking at Derby Railway Station took a step forward with the go-ahead for the installation of 52 new, covered, cycle stands in a more secure area. Although this still falls far short of what is ultimately required it does nonetheless mark a step in the right direction. There has also been some very useful cycle path developments in the Chaddesden area some of which forms part of the new Derby orbital cycle route (Sustran NCN Route 66) which both the DCG and Sustrans have been campaigning for.
4.5 Transportation Planning
The main focus of the DCGs activity in this area is consultative report writing. With the 2006-2011 Local Transport Plan finally being produced in March 2006, this last year has been somewhat quieter than the one previous. In April a submission was submitted to the Public Enquiry concerning the proposed construction of the Derby Inner Ring Road as part of the Connecting Derby project. The submission underlined the DCGs long standing opposition to road construction while at the same stating that, if the road is to be built then the DCG wish to be involved as closely as possible with the implementation of the associated cycling facilities.
The other major involvement of the DCG has been with the Strategic Integrated Transport Studies concerning transport developments along Osmaston Road and Uttoxeter/Burton Road corridors. In both cases progress has been slower than had been hoped for owing to difficulties in securing adequate funding from the Department for Transport.
4.6 DCG community representation
During the year the DCG had representation on the following:
i City Council Transport Steering Committee for Connecting Derby and Local Transport Plan (LTP)
ii Derby Cycle Forum with City Council
iii Derby Canal Society
iv Travelwatch East Midlands.
v Derbyshire County Council Cycle Liaison Group
vi South Derbyshire District Council
vii East Midlands Transport Activists Roundtable (Transport 2000)
viii Strategic Integrated Transport Studies (SITS)
ix East Midlands Cycle Forum
A key feature of DCG representation is the Derby Cycle Forum which has superceded the quarterly Cycle Progress Meetings (CPM) with the City Council.
4.7 Summary
In summary, it has been an busy year for the DCG particularly regarding the planning and organising of the CTC/CCN conference but also working along side Cycle Derby in meeting the development goals of Cycle Demonstration Status. A watching brief has also been kept on the major transportation developments throughout the city.
As always much thanks is extended to all members who have worked for the group during the year and thereby helped improve cycling conditions in Derby.
John Stubbs, Chair, June 2007
5 Secretary’s Report (Membership), 2007:
Unfortunately we have seen quite a drop in membership numbers this year. Members are not renewing their membership with the regularity that they have in the past and we are not getting enough new members to maintain the numbers.
The membership base for the Cycling Group in Derby was large, so we still have a substantial number of supporters at just under 300. However we do need to take action to try to maintain this level of support and to prevent numbers falling further.
We lost 93 members in 2005 who did not renew their membership and 87 in 2006. This year 151 members were due to renew, of these only 38 have renewed so far. Next year 176 members are due for renewal.
It would be good to try to recruit new members as well as encourage existing members to renew.
Some statistics from the membership at 31 May 2007 with comparisons from previous years.
2005 2006 2007
Total number of members 507 468 293
Subs due for renewal 177 133 113
New members ? 10 9
Renewals ? 46 38
Barbara Rathbone
Membership Secretary
6 Treasurer’s Report, 2007:
Members' subscription / 273.00 / Subs CCN & donation DCACC / 125.00
Donations / 127.00 / Printing photocopying / 16.15
Five Parks Ride / 190.00 / Postage and stationary / 22.63
Derby City Council / 50.00 / MacMillan Cancer Support / 200.00
Map Sales / 6.00 / Room rent & catering for AGM / 29.26
Building Society & Bank Interest / 71.68 / DCG website hosting / 58.75
CTC, CCN Conference / 30.24 / CCN/CTC Conference venue / 100.00
Travel / 50.80
TOTAL INCOME / 747.92 / TOTAL EXPENDITURE / 602.59
SURPLUS / 145.33
TOTAL / 747.92 / TOTAL / 747.92
Balance Sheet: Derbyshire Building Society & Royal Bank of Scotland:
Opening balance 1st April 2006 / 3446.72 / Closing balance 31st March 2007 DBS / 3461.51
Surplus / 145.33 / RBS / 130.54
3592.05 / 3592.05
Accounts audited by David Vince, 24th May 2007
For comparison with last year:
Income / Expenditure
Members’ subscriptions / 594.00 / Subscription to CCN & EMTAR / 95.00
Donations / 270.00 / Printing photocopying / 27.06
Winding up of DECO / 178.00 / Postage and Stationary / 32.15
Derby City Council / 50.00 / Conferences, travel / 125.80
Map sales / 32.00 / Room rent for AGM & EGM / 26.50
Building Society Interest / 71.67 / DCG website hosting / 58.75
Schools Information Pack / 200.00
Other / 68.12
TOTAL INCOME / 1196.17 / TOTAL EXPENDITURE / 633.38
SURPLUS / 562.79
TOTAL / 1196.17 / TOTAL / 1196.17
John Palmer, DCG Treasurer, June 2007
7 Election of Committee