GPCA Chairmans AGM Report Nov 2001

GOLDSWORTH PARK COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION
GPCA CHAIRMAN'S REPORT TO THE A.G.M. 2001

Created Fri 30/Nov/2001 Update Fri 30/Nov/2001

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4. CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

4.1 The Chairman welcomed residents and guests to the Annual General Meeting.

4.2 The Hall Manager, Alison Armstrong, has continued to perform very well both in terms of the general management of the hall and achieving new bookings. Our cleaner, Sue Bruce, has given up due to the pressure of other work. Alison and Michael Armstrong now undertake the cleaning in conjunction with locking/unlocking the Hall. The need for visits to unlock the Hall has been reduced to a minimum by the provision of Yale keys to all long-term hirers. This arrangement is working well. Regular bookings have remained unchanged with a very high level of utilisation on all days of the week. Occasional bookings, parties, weddings etc, remain at a good level but could increase a little.

4.3 The year has been one without major developments but we have continued to make steady improvements to our facilities.

4.4 The good working relationship our neighbours Careroom Ltd. (Toad Hall) have continued throughout the year. Their plans for the addition of a major cr\u00E8che facility have been delayed somewhat but construction work is due to commence in the New Year. As anticipated, the play frame will remain and the present Caf\u00E9 area will be used for the cr\u00E8che. The plans include the installation of new toilets and the conversion of their existing Ladies into a sleep room. This will, hopefully, reduce the problems with the existing drains.

4.5 The problems caused by the poor workmanship and construction management when the building was built unfortunately continue. The electrical fault I reported last year turned out to be a short circuit in the conduit buried in the concrete floor. This, in practical terms, was irreparable and had to be bypassed. A similar fault has now developed in the supply to the hand dryer in the disabled toilet. These faults should not be occurring in a system installed only 12 years ago.

4.6 Yet again I must report that no progress has been made on finalising the lease of the Hall with Woking Borough Council (WBC). Formally, this had been put on hold so that the revised lease could fully reflect the situation when the extensions were completed. This is not entirely negative as it has allowed all concerned to establish that the new arrangements for maintenance are working properly. I am glad to report that they are, and this has led to a useful reduction in the costs we pay for maintenance. When we do return to the lease, there will still be the issue of the new clauses in the lease giving WBC, potentially, a veto on some aspects of the management of the Hall. Sally Elder states that the members require them but these clauses have been rejected by the GPCA Committee. So we still have things to resolve. We have an agreement with the Council that rules out the GPCA accepting responsibility for all aspects of the drainage until it can be demonstrated to be functioning correctly for one year. We have had only one major blockage, in May this year, and Careroom have changed toilet paper, which seems to have prevented a reoccurrence. Unfortunately, the contractors who dealt with the blockage damaged the manhole and floor covering in our Ladies toilets and this has yet to be repaired.

4.7 Following the completion of the major refurbishment we have turned our attention to improvements in the Bar this year. As reported last year, our first task was to relocate the beer barrels and install a replacement for the draft beer chillers. This allowed us to install two large refrigerated cabinets for the storage of bottled beers. The problem of never having sufficient chilled bottles for large events has existed since the Hall was opened.

4.8 We have also replaced the glasses washer, which was becoming very tired after 12 years of use. The new washer is working well and you now get glasses that look clean as well as being hygienic. When undertaking this work, it was discovered that the drain for the old washer had simple been pushed into a completely open drainpipe. This allowed sewer gasses and, when the drains blocked, raw sewage to flood into a concealed area under the bar. This is both illegal and explains the "funny" smell we have been trying to eliminate for years. The drain has now been properly sealed and the required water traps fitted. Again, this is an example of the appalling standard of work carried out by WBC in the early years and may have contributed to the electrical faults we are experiencing.

4.9 Again the water supply bill for 2000 was ridiculously high at over \u00A31,000 despite the installation of an economiser valve in the main gentleman’s toilets.. With WBC, we are continuing to investigate and monitor the situation. In the interim we are not paying for the water element of the service charges.

4.10 The twelve new tables have been a success being durable and, due to their light weight, far less susceptible to being damaged when being moved.

4.11 I am pleased to say that external vandalism has remained negligible during the year. Unfortunately, Carerroom have had some problems that we hope can be reduced.

4.12 ***** Item removed *****

4.13 The complete newsletter operation continues to be carried out by Merlin Print. Unfortunately, they have not been able to print all issues to the timetable we require. As a result, you may notice that we do not have a separate November issue. We hope this problem will not recur. I would like to thank Jean and Peter Winter for their efforts as editors, particularly now they have to fill 12 pages regularly. The print run continues to be about 5,000 copies. More volunteer deliverers are still required, particularly in the Lakeview estate area.

4.14 Due to the unstinting efforts of a local volunteer, we now have a Goldsworth Park Web Site, which carries the text of the newsletter along with much useful information, plus links to related sites. We hope we will be able to develop this further in the coming year. So for all of you with Internet access have a look at "uk.geocities.com/goldsworthpark/".

4.15 All four car boot sales in 2000 were successful; they were fully booked and the weather was reasonable. Revenue from each sale has remained in the order of \u00A31,000. Unfortunately, the Police were only able to provide traffic cones for two of the events, so traffic flow was not as good as we would like to maintain. The problems we were experiencing last year with the Managing Agents, Strutt & Parker, have disappeared with the appointment of Savills as Managing Agents.

4.16 The management of the lake and the surrounding area has made some progress. A new water bailiff has been appointed and the Fishing Club is being actively involved in the management of the Lake. In September, the first meeting of the Goldsworth Park Lake and Recreation Ground Users Group took place. All groups involved with the Lake and Grounds attended this meeting, chaired by Geoff Ward of WBC. Three Council Members, one from each party, also attended. All the users are reasonably satisfied with the facilities they have and foresee no conflict with other users. However, there are many improvements that need to be made. While progress will be limited by lack of funds, it is hoped this forum can promote the urgently needed improvements such as the provision of public toilets.

4.17 Last year, I reported the sad death of Derek Robinson, a good friend of the GPCA, and the generous bequest from his estate. To recognise Derek’s interest in gardening and his usual mode of transport, we have presented the Derek Robinson Shield for the Best Collection of Vegetables to the Goldsworth Park Allotment Society and have asked WBC to install a secure bicycle parking facility outside the Hall.

4.18 The Chairman ended his report by thanking everyone who had helped with the work of the GPCA during the year and mentioned particularly:- Peter and Jean Winter, for their unstinting support particularly by preparation of the Newsletter. My own feeling is that the contents have improved considerably over the last year. Arthur Harmour, Vice President, for organising the Senior Citizens Bingo and the donations raised for Woking Hospice. Ian Eastwood, with the help of his offspring, for running the bar. Alison and Michael Armstrong, Hall Manager and Caretaker. Chris and Judy Edwards, Newsletter publishers The Newsletter deliverers, who go out in all weathers to keep residents in touch. Committee Members for their efforts. Robert Cook, our longsuffering solicitor Damian Grimshaw, our auditor.

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