2020 CRA Annual General MeetingDate: Wednesday 20th May 2020 Alternative arrangements for the AGM and how to voteIn our April e-Newsletter we explained that due to Covid-19 alternative arrangements for the 2020 AGM would be made. The Community Meeting with speaker has been postponed.The arrangements for the formal business of the AGM were as follows:
Online VotingVoting closed at 5pm on 20th May. A total of 66 votes were received using this form. The form asked for an email address and Post Code, and then be presented each of the resolutions. For each resolution it was possible to choose to vote in favour, vote against or abstain. There was also an opportunity to provide any additional feedback at the end of the form. Votes could also be cast using the voting slip in the TCR and returned to CRA Honorary Secretary, David Hiddleston, 4 Grovewood Close, Chorleywood, WD3 5PU. 4 such votes were received. Nominations for Executive CommitteeWe are always very pleased to hear from keen community-minded residents to consider serving on the committee, volunteer help in any other capacity or become a Resident Representative for a vacant spot.
Nominations closed on 13th May and all valid nominations were included in the resolutions for voting. Chairman's Report 2020WELCOME to our alternative way of holding our annual AGM for the CRA. Our regular liaison meetings with all levels of government have continued, including with our new MP Gagan Mohindra. Formalised with an agenda and minutes, these meetings are our opportunities to hold the authorities to account. Additionally we have held occasional one-to-one meetings with councillors on specific issues of concern. Our excellent planning team of Jon Bishop and Richard Dwyer have put in much work with Chorleywood Parish Council on the Neighbourhood Development Plan which was published in February for resident consultation. Work has continued with Three Rivers District Council (TRDC), with Jon attending all meetings relating to the Local Plan. I would especially like to thank him for all the time he puts in attending planning meetings, both at TRDC and at the parish council. Also for the regular Chorleywood planning applications updates he sends to all our email subscribers. This is a huge effort and keeps us all up to date. A major issue that came up in the year was a development plan for up to 800 dwellings on the east side of Green Street. Following a public exhibition by the project developers in November at Chorleywood Golf Club, we held our own packed public meeting at the Memorial Hall Common Room. Since then we have taken our objections to the developers, making it clear there would be little local support for such a large scheme. When we went to press, the Green Street planning application had still not been submitted. As this is such an important matter for Chorleywood, we set up a dedicated page on our website for information and guidance. This is updated by our IT whizz Mike Stansfield, who also edits our monthly e-newsletters, while Nagina Qureshi sends out the latest news on our Twitter and Facebook accounts. I am very grateful to them both. In March, Jane Tozer from our executive committee met with our new MP, impressing on him that all the local residents’ associations felt their surrounding green belt was under threat from the government’s demand for extra houses in the district. Mr Mohindra has 16 years’ planning committee experience with Epping Forest District Council and has served at parish, district and county level. He said housing development was needed but in the right place, with the infrastructure first, and there was a need to consider the total effect of multiple developments, such as plans for Little Chalfont and Chorleywood, and their effect together on roads and water supplies. Jane also informed him about the closure of the post office and its disastrous effect on local businesses. Mr Mohindra, who has a background in retail and online business, has offered to look into this. Meanwhile I have been pressing Post Office Ltd for more than a year for a resolution on the matter, including submitting a Freedom of Information request. Replies have assured us that although the PO is committed to restoring its service it cannot at present, due to legal reasons which it claims it is unable to divulge. Our post office campaign is now headed by Lisa Stewart, one of four new members recruited to the CRA executive committee to strengthen our expertise and enthusiasm to get things done. She recently organised a protest gathering of business owners and residents outside the old post office. A PO official promised to come to Chorleywood to discuss the situation but the visit has been overtaken by current isolation events. We continue to encourage residents to contact Nick Read, CEO, at the Post Office direct: nread@postoffice.co.uk. We were grateful to our two county councillors for contributing funds from their Locality Budget to help with the annual maintenance of the Memorial Garden. This has allowed us to employ a gardening company to take care of pruning, weeding, etc. There is still some work planned to complete the project. As part of a “Save Our Shops” campaign, our business liaison team held two meetings with local business owners. Expertly run by Vanessa Rousseau, they yielded several ideas which we hope will produce initiatives to work on in the future. I have to announce that three of our EC are not standing for re-election: our treasurer Kalpna Hirani, our vice-chair Mark Fowler and myself. Kalpna has been a brilliant treasurer, giving us monthly comprehensive up-dates and bringing in more technology and financial control. Mark has contributed hugely from his local knowledge and set up the 100 Club, reaching our original target of 100 members. I thank them for their excellent contributions and work for CRA. We are delighted that David Gray, an experienced finance director and trustee, is standing for election in answer to our advertisement for a new treasurer (see his profile on Page 20). I am proposing Jane Tozer for election as my successor. Jane is very experienced in business and, since joining the committee last year, has already made a huge and valued contribution. If elected, she will serve the community well and take the CRA from strength to strength. Finally, I would like to thank our EC team for their efforts and hard work throughout the year. We have a great team spirit and our monthly meetings have been enjoyable occasions for me, with a great balance of hard work and humour. Thank you all.  Owen Edis, CRA Chairman Treasurer's Report 2020 Firstly, I would like to thank David Clough for very kindly acting as Honorary Independent Examiner. He has reported that the 2019 accounts are in accordance with CRA’s financial records. Income & Expenditure statement In the year ended 31st December 2019, CRA has made a surplus of £1,666, compared to a surplus of £599 in the previous year. This increase has been driven by the following:
A breakdown of income and surplus by activity is shown in the table below:  Source of Funds As a result of the above surplus of £1,666, overall reserves have increased to £8,861 at 31 December 2019.
Kalpna, CRA Treasurer Resolutions and Voting
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