Thursday, 20 July at 19.00 at the Barn on the Green
Dear Member,
We look forward to welcoming you, glass of wine in hand, to our Annual Meeting this Thursday.
Attached to this email you will find:
- This year’s AGM agenda
- Last year’s Minutes, for approval at the meeting
- Financial Accounts for 2022/23 for approval at the meeting
Item 4 of the AGM agenda is the election of the committee. The plea we made last year still stands: if anyone would like to join the committee, do let us know before, during or after the meeting. Village societies deserve your support and involvement – we cannot survive without it!
The AGM is expected to last 20-30 minutes, after which we will hear from our two speakers, Dr John Kay of CPRE and Marc Munier of Don’t Urbanise the Downs. who will talk about the threat of large-scale housing developments to village communities like Ditchling and what we can do to oppose them John Kay, in an email last week, said:
“This week Ringmer parish council (of which I am a member) invited Leigh Palmer (Lewes DC head of planning) to attend a meeting about the Lewes Local Plan.
“We learned very much more than we expected about the Lewes Planning Policy team’s thinking about the District Council’s new Local Plan (not formally due to be unveiled until November).
“Unfortunately, what we learned is very bad news for those who do not consider the Eton Mess a sensible plan, or indeed anyone who would not like to see developers given free rein to concrete over any part of the Lewes District Low Weald (outside the National Park) over which they have bought an option.”
Come and hear the latest news direct from John and Marc and learn what we can do to help.
Sincerely,
Julia Goodbourn
Steve Dempsey
Co-chairs, the Ditchling Society
THE DITCHLING SOCIETY
2022 AGM HELD ON 14 SEPTEMBER AT THE BARN ON THE GREEN
1 WELCOME AND APOLOGIES
The Chairman welcomed the assembled members and gave apologies from Richard Stapleton and Crispin Mair.
2 CHAIRMAN’S ADDRESS
The address began with a warm tribute to the late Queen. Then an apology for the absence of Jody Blake, the Conservation Officer at the South Downs National Park Authority, who was unable to be there. Dr Benedict Dempsey had stepped in and would be introduced later.
Last year the Society ended in a good state, with a growing membership, sound finances and an agenda of projects. The current year had proved more challenging, with personal commitments, health issues and a shortage of help, together with officialdom curtailing plans. Planning applications have been monitored and action taken, if deemed appropriate. Development outside the settlement area has been lobbied against, and the fight to protect the Settlement Gap and Downland landscape has continued, together with clarity of intent for proposed projects. This work has been in liaison with officers of the Park, LDC and the Parish Council.
Current issues include Appeals for equine use of land at the Drove, conversion of outbuildings at Green Plan in Spatham Lane, as well as the construction of a large equine sand school in Underhill Lane.
The Society was originally called the Ditchling Preservation Society. This name has been changed, but the intent to protect and conserve our built heritage and village setting remains the same. Therefore, updating the Character Appraisal of Ditchling is of profound interest to the Society. The Society is helping Jody Blake from the Conservation department of the South Downs National Park Authority review and update the 2009 Character Appraisal by acquainting her with the village and its history, with Tom Dufty on behalf of the History Project and Edwina Rowling representing the Parish Council, and to submit a report on the historic lamp posts, and to bring attention of the importance of street furniture in creating the uniqueness of the village. This document will record the heritage, and help to identify parts of the village suitable to be incorporated into the Conservation Area and become a reference document for the Planners and Parish Council. For the moment, this work has been delayed, but the Society will continue to be involved with it.
The scheme to plant roadside bulbs with the generous legacy given by Gerry Hinckley has been halted due to impossible requirements of the County Council. Another beneficial project will be found in due course.
Liz Pope, together with the village volunteers, were thanked for sprucing up the village. There will be another session at the end of October before Remembrance Day.
Shirley took over the Chair of the Society in 2013. After nine and a half years she will be retiring from the post. Julia Goodbourn and Steve Dempsey will be taking over as Joint Chairs. They will bring sound and complementary views and direction.
Sadly only four Committee members are seeking re-election. This depletion of the committee sorely restricts what the Society can do. It would be an immense loss were it unable to function. A new Treasurer and Membership Secretary was needed as Julia was taking on Joint Chair. With many young families moving into the village, their needs should be represented by them, but very few were members. The Address ended with a plea for firm commitment and more involvement from the membership.
Tom Dufty then complimented Shirley on her chairmanship of the Society and Liz Pope presented her with a bouquet of flowers. Steve Dempsey said a huge debt was owed to her for her exemplary leadership and she was a voice beyond the boundary of Ditchling, and well-deserving of all compliments.
3 CONFIRMATION OF OFFICERS & MEMBERS OF THE /COMMITTEE
Joint Chairs of Steve Dempsey and Julia Goodbourn was proposed by Tom Dufty and seconded by Martin Roberts.
The job of Membership secretary and Treasurer is vacant.
Delia Forrester was thanked for all her work. Richard Stapleton and Liz Pope remaining on the committee were proposed by Pam Strafford and seconded by Tom Dufty.
4 TREASURER’S REPORT
Julia Goodbourn expressed thanks to Dick Marshall for looking over the figures at the end of February 2022, when there was a surplus of income over expenditure of £380. An increase in membership subscriptions boosted the income from £403.00 to £1221.00 last year, due to a drive last summer, after falling membership revenue in the previous year. 19 had taken a 10-year membership. Now there are 57 ten-year memberships, so the income will decrease in forthcoming years. There are now 193 individuals and two corporate memberships, held by local businesses.
The largest expenditure has been the purchase of equipment necessary for the village Tidy Ups. There are now plenty of tools, hi-vis jackets and signage. Ditchling In Focus photographic competition that took place in the summer of 2021, together with other miscellaneous costs, accounts for a further £316.69 that has been paid out in the current years for expenses incurred before February.
The cash balance at the end of February was £3,488.95. Of this, £734.27 are a share of the proceeds from the sale of Gerry Hinkley’s book of poems. A further £98.78 has been received in the current year, giving a grand total of £833.05. The Society is immensely grateful for this generous bequest and the money has been ring-fenced for a project for the benefit of the community in his memory.
5 AOB
Kevin Smyth asked about how under-fifties can be persuaded to contribute ideas for involving young people. A lot of young couples were at the Welcome party in March, but not at the meeting.
Pam Roy-Jones said that these young families have too much to do. With the Ditchling Horticultural Society, they targeted retired people with skills. Now they have a full complement. This had no connection with their 200th Anniversary.
Mention was made of the Ditchling Facebook group. It had IT committee members, but this help is no longer needed.
Nick Upton said that several societies in the village use the media – could a group be set up to combine this help for them all?
Julia asked those who filled in the forms to put down IT skills, if applicable.
Pam Roy-Jones said a boy of 18 had helped the Horticultural Society with a web site, and a communications officer for the Anniversary for the papers. Maybe a get- together between the two Societies would be beneficial.
Julia said that one problem was that the high-profile things the Society deals with is usually negative and against something. The Clean-Up is a positive with families coming along. There is a new Head Teacher of St Margaret’s primary school who wants to find activities for the children to be involved in. Could they help?
Tom Dufty commented that the word “preservation” had proved to be negative. Change had to happen, but be positive. Could a youth group be formed from Secondary pupils? They may persuade parents to be involved.
Briony Coomber asked what the logo represented, and was told it was an artistic interpretation of the downs and Ditchling church spire. It was suggested that a youth group could design something, but this did not meet with enthusiasm.
The meeting closed at 8.45 pm.
