Progress Residents Association Annual General Meeting 2014

Minutes of the Progress Residents Association’s Annual General Meeting held at 2 p.m. on Saturday
6th December 2014 in The Progress Hall, Admiral Seymour Road

1. Chair’s Welcome
The Chair, Rita Billinghurst, welcomed everyone to the AGM and thanked them for coming. She announced thanks to Hyde Housing for its continuing support of the Association.  In addition she thanked the Coop, Conran Estates, David Evans, Gordon and St Thomas More Primary Schools, the Priory Players and John Webb and Mark Wall from SE9 Magazine all of whom had contributed to the preparation of our 2015 Centenary Celebrations.

2. Apologies 
Robert Ledgerwood, Pat Murr, Julie Townsend, Eltham West Safer Neighbourhood Police Team.

3. Minutes of the 2013 AGM
Copies were available at the meeting and the Minutes were approved.

4. Annual Reports
Annual Reports from the Treasurer, the Sub- Committees, including a Planning Report, and the Safer Neighbourhood Police Panels had been printed in the December Newsletter which had been distributed to every household on the Estate.

5. Resolutions
The Acting Secretary had received a communication, with due notice, prior to the AGM from a resident of Congreve Road.  The following resolution was therefore put forward and agreed “This meeting notes the belief of Shane Cassells, who resides in Congreve Road, that additional traffic is being routed along this and possibly other roads running parallel to Well Hall Road as a result of software utilised by the Waze app and therefore requests that a committee member of the Progress Residents Association reports his concern at the traffic meeting of the South Greenwich Forum to be held on 25th January 2015.  The Committee to inform all potentially affected residents of developments by email.”

A local Councillor, Wynn Davies, who was present at the AGM, stated that he had already looked into this matter and was advised by the relevant council officers that although the whole area was eventually to be a 20 mph zone, Arsenal Road and Congreve Road were not in the scheme until 2017 at the earliest.  The fact that these particular roads were being used as rat runs would not affect the decision.  He also mentioned that there were not enough reported incidents/accidents to make these roads a priority.  He had however asked Len Duvall, the GLA member, to take up the issue.  A brief discussion followed with the point being made that drivers were driving far too fast along these fairly narrow roads and also highlighting the absurdity of accidents having to take place before there was any action from the authorities.

Councillor Davies also urged Progress residents to respond to the consultation exercise currently being carried out by the Royal Borough regarding the extension of Controlled Parking Zones.  This message was endorsed by Committee Member Keith Billinghurst.  Draft plans will be exhibited at the Eltham Centre in Archery Road from Thursday 8th January to Saturday 10th January between 10 a.m and 8 p.m (4 p.m on Saturday).  The closing date for responses to the consultation to be received by the Royal Borough of Greenwich is 23rd January 2015. 

6. Election of Officers and Committee Members
The Chair pointed out that, in accordance with the Constitution, she was putting herself forward again as Chair having already served for 2 years in that position.  She was duly nominated, seconded and elected by those members present as were all those named below. 

Chair: Rita Billinghurst
Vice Chair: Robert Ledgerwood
Secretary: Margaret Oliver
Treasurer: Lisa Jonker
Committee Members: Keith Billinghurst; Jon Boulton; Rui Dias; Margaret Johnson; Pat Murr

7. Election of sub-committee members
Those members putting themselves forward to be sub-committee members were duly nominated, seconded and elected by the members present at the meeting.

The 2015 Group
       
Rita Billinghurst
Keith Billinghurst
Jill Holmans
Lisa Jonker
Avril Martin
Lynn Bennett-Usher

The Social Media Sub Committee
Rita Billinghurst
Keith Billinghurst
Rui Dias
James Garner

The Chair ended the formal part of the afternoon by pointing out to residents some of the successes of the Association during the past year, e.g. the repaving of a large section of Granby Road; the agreement of Hyde to replace and repair the fencing initially on the west side of Well Hall Road, hopefully followed by repairs on the east side of Well Hall Road; Hyde and their contractor Mears, under pressure from the Association, had agreed to apply for retrospective planning permission for all works they had carried out on the Estate for which they had neglected to obtain planning permission in the first place.

Members of the 2015 Sub-Committee who had won a Volunteers Award from St Mary’s Community Centre were congratulated. 

The Chair also said we were looking for volunteers to help with the planned 2015 events and we would be grateful if those willing could contact her.  She advised that we were using a company called Eventbrite to deal with ticketing of the 2015 events.

The formal meeting closed and the Chair announced the arrival of the choir from St Thomas More Catholic Primary School who were going to entertain us with a performance of Christmas songs and carols.  The children sang beautifully and were a credit to the School and its teachers and, of course, to their parents.  The children and their parents were then invited to join us in the Christmas Social event and a good time was had by all.