MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON THURSDAY 26^th January 2012

IN READING ROOM DENT

Present: Bronwen Osborne (Chair), Peter Boyles (Chair), Geoff Woof, David Wright, Janet Oughton, Brian Goad, Chris Evans, Linda Cragg, Graham Dalton,  Helen Seabridge (clerk)

Apologies: Heather Fraser

Minutes of meeting 17^th November 2011 were agreed and signed as being correct.

Matter arising not on the agenda:

Helen gave an update on properties:

Flat 1: A new cooker had been bought. When JJ Martin came to install the cooker it was discovered that the electrics were not safe. Chris Pickthall the electrician is going to replace the wiring and fit a socket cover. Treadwell Flooring had given a quote for new flooring in the lounge and bathroom at a cost of £380 plus VAT. It was agreed to go ahead with this. Helen to contact Treadwell Flooring to confirm. (HS). It was agreed that the stairwell walls need painting – Helen to contact Steve Hawley (HS). Posters advertising the flat have been put up in Dent, Sedbergh and Kirkby Lonsdale and on the website and an advert will appear in February’s Lookaround. The letting situation will be reviewed at the next meeting.

Flat 2: Linda reported that Julian Wilkinson had done the kitchen tiling and removed the old coal bunker. Margaret has bought a new coal bunker. The bathroom flooring had been done at a cost of £132.

House: A paving slab from the chimney had blown off in the high winds. It had been agreed by the Chair that it was OK for the tenant Steve Hailey to do this work as he is a builder. Helen to follow up in this and check to see if the conservatory was damaged too. (HS).

Grants to school and pre-school:

£1000 had been given to the pre-school and £2000 had been given to the school. The Committee had received letters of thanks from both which Helen read out at the meeting.

Election of Chair & Vice-Chair:

Heather had told Bronwen that she was unable to take on the role of Chair at the moment because of her new job but she may consider it in a year. Bronwen’s term runs out in November 2012. Peter was nominated by Graham and this was seconded by Linda. Peter accepted on the basis that the Committee were able to appoint a Clerk and that Heather or another Governor was able to take on the role of Chair in the future. It was proposed that Heather take to role of vice-Chair. Brownen would discuss this with Heather. (BO). If this was not possible, Bronwen said she would become vice-Chair until November 2012. It had previously been agreed that the Clerk would take on the role of Treasurer.

[At this point Bronwen stepped down as Chair and Peter took over.]

Appointment of new Clerk:

CV’s had been received from Scott Thornley and Dorothy Vernon and the Governors all agreed that they were both suited to the job. It was agreed to approach them both and ask Dorothy to take the role of Clerk and Scott to take a new role of Property Manager. The Clerk’s honorarium would remain at £300 a year and the Property Manager would receive an honorarium of £125 per half year (total £250 per year). Both honorariums would start 1^st March 2012. The Property Manager would be a point of reference for tenants, liaise between tenants and Committee, do inspections and assessments of works required and do changeover inspections. The PM would undertake minor works and report all other works to the Clerk. The PM would report to the Chair a attend meetings. Peter to write PM job description and approach Scott and Dorothy within the next few days. (PB).

Review of Governor’s years of office:

Graham’s term was due to run out May 2012 and Geoff’s and David’s terms had expired. All to be renewed for 3 years.  Bronwen’s term due to expire November 2012 – Bronwen is going to try and find a replacement from QES. (BO). Helen to look for Governor’s nomination form. (HS). There are currently 2 vacancies – 1 co-opted and 1 Parish Councillor.

Bank balance:

The balance at the end of December 2011 was £12,457.42.

AOB:

The next meeting is on 29^th March 2012.

Meeting closed at 8.30pm.

DATE OF NEXT MEETING:  26th January 2012 to be held in the Reading Room at 7.30 p.m.

********************

MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON THURSDAY 17^th NOVEMBER 2011

IN READING ROOM DENT

Present: Bronwen Osborne (Chair), Heather Fraser, David Wright, Janet Oughton, Brian Goad, Helen Seabridge (clerk)

Apologies: Chris Evans, Peter Boyles, Linda Cragg

Minutes of meeting on 23^rd June2011 were agreed and signed as being correct.

Matter arising not on the agenda:

It was reported that grants of £100 had been sent to the individuals agreed at last meeting. Thank you letters had been received from Beatrice Deighton and Kerry McClurg.

Election of Chair/Treasurer/Governors:

It was agreed that the role of Treasurer would go back under the Clerk’s remit.

Chris Evans had approached 2 people to ask if they would be Governors but both said they would not be willing to do this. Heather said she would speak to Anne Fleck to see if she would be interested.  HF

The Committee discussed the property management aspect of the Chair’s role. Brian suggested, and Heather seconded, that a property management Sub-Committee be formed which would consist of the Clerk, the Chair and another Governor. It was proposed by David and seconded by Brian that this Sub-Committee would have powers to spend up to £1000. It was suggested that Linda, Chris or Geoff be asked to join as they live in the village (BO), or Robert Haygarth, if he was willing to join as a new Governor. Bronwen agreed to stay on as temporary Chair until the next meeting.

The Committee expressed concern that the Foundation had become more about property management than the grants. It was discussed that it may be necessary in the future to think of other options such as selling the properties and managing the investment. It was decided to see how things progressed next year, ie. With a new Chair, more Governors, and then review again.

Update on Flat 2:

Margaret has requested that the coal bunker be demolished as it is difficult for her to use and she would then buy a plastic bunker. Helen will ask Julian Wilkinson if he can do this, taking the stone in lieu of payment if possible. The Committee agreed to pay for the new bathroom flooring which had to be replaced after a leak in the bathroom pipes. Helen to find out the cost of this and to see if it is covered by the insurance. HS

Update on Flat 1:

Tony Ingleby left the flat on 12^th November. Bronwen and Helen went to view the flat and found it to be in good order and left clean and tidy. The outside hallway needs painting. The whole flat need painting and possibly the carpets replaced. The cooker if very old and not working properly so this will have to be replaced. Helen to ask SLDC if there is still a grant available for this work. It was suggested that Helen ask SLDC if they have someone that could move into the flat in the condition that it is currently in. If not, then the flat may need to be upgraded in order to get a private tenant. HS

Bank balance:

The balance at the end of October 2011 was £12,654.51.

Grants for school and pre-school:

It was agreed to pay a total of £3000 but to pay in instalments over the coming year. Helen to find out the split between the 2 schools in previous years. HS

AOB:

No other business.

Meeting closed at 8.30pm.

Note: Linda Cragg has agreed to join the Property Management Sub-Committee.

MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON THURSDAY 29^th SEPTEMBER 2011

IN READING ROOM DENT

Present: Bronwen Osborne (Chair), Heather Fraser, Linda Cragg, Peter Boyles, Graham Dalton, Chris Evans, Wendy Cooke, Helen Seabridge (clerk)

Apologies: Janet Oughton

The Committee accepted Wendy Cooke’s letter of resignation and thanked her for all the work she had done for the Committee.

Minutes of meeting on 23^rd June2011 were agreed and signed as being correct.

Matter arising not on the agenda:

Helen said that she had checked with Ken Smith about High Pike Quarry and there were no further developments to report.

Election of new Chairman:

No one came forward to take on this role. It was suggested by Peter that the Chair could have someone appointed from the Trustees to take on the more practical tasks of property management. or a non Trustee could be paid an honorarium. Graham Dalton was going to ask Robert Haygarth if he would be interested in this position. It was also discussed that the Committee needed to find more Governors. Matt Clayton and Anne Fleck were suggested and were going to be approached to see if they wanted to join the Committee. Bronwen agreed to stay on a temporary Chair until the next meeting.

Land registry:

There was nothing to update on this.

Bank account:

The balance in the account at the end of August 2011 was £10, 658.04. There was a projected income of approximately £20,000.

Grant application:

There were 9 applications in total. Two applications were rejected:

Natalie Hawley – over the age of 25

Tim Deighton – not in the Foundation’s remit

It was proposed to accept the other 7 applications and grants to be given:

Laura Goad

Ian Mitchell

Kerry McClurg

Martyn Knapton

Beatrice Deighton

Dent Primary

Dent Pre-School

After the meeting it was realised that there was not as much money as the Committee thought to give to applicants. The bank balance as at end of August was £10, 658.04. (NB: The balance at the end of September was £12,125.41.  So it was proposed to give £100 to each of the individual applicants and to discuss the amount to be given to the School and the Pre-School at another meeting.

Annual Return to Charity Commission:

The request for the Return has been received by email and Helen is to action this.

Update on Grammar School House:

We have received a letter of application from someone wishing to be placed on the waiting list. The storage heater in the lounge was not working and has been fixed by Chris Pickthall.

Update on Flat 1:

The tenant’s housing benefit has been reduced so we are now receiving money both from SLDC and Tony Ingleby each month. Helen confirmed that we received £340.74 in July and £350 in August. Helen is to monitor this.

Update on Flat 2:

Julian Wilkinson is fixing the tiles in the kitchen – he is trying to find matching tiles. There was a flood in the bathroom and this has been fixed by Gary Sedgwick. The flooring has had to be replaced and Graham is to check the rent agreement to see who is responsible for paying for this. The tenant has also reported that the outhouse roof is leaking and Helen is to ask Julian Wilkinson to look at this.

Dates for next year’s meeting were agreed – 26^th Jan, 29^th Mar, 28^th June and 27^th Sept.

AOB:

The plan for the next meeting is to report back on possible new Committee members.

The meeting closed at 845pm.

MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON THURSDAY 23^rd JUNE 2011

IN READING ROOM DENT

Present: Ken Smith (Chair), Heather Fraser, Linda Cragg, Peter Boyles, David Wright, Janet Oughton, Graham Dalton, Bronwen Osborne, Helen Seabridge (clerk)

Apologies: Wendy Cooke, Geoff Woof, Brian Goad

The Committee welcomed new Governor Janet Oughton to the meeting.

Minutes of meeting on 17^th March 2011 were agreed and signed as being correct.

There were no matters arising not listed on the agenda.

The election of new Governor Janet Oughton was proposed by Graham Dalton and seconded by Peter Boyles.

Bank details:

The balance in the account at the end of May was £7,478.54.

Total projected revenue for 2011 is £15,930.42 and total projected expenditure is £6050.37 giving a balance of £9,880.05. This added to the account balance gives a total projection of £17,358.59.

Update on Grammar School House:

6 weeks ago the drains had to be unblocked and payment is due for this in June. The emersion heater time switch had to be repaired and the broken shower replaced and payment is also due for this in June. Edwin Middleton had to do some work on the front door to make it fit correctly. The guttering is broken on the conservatory and Gary Sedgwick will look at this. It was agreed that a cat flap could be installed in the house. The money for the insurance claim has all been received.

Update on Grammar School Flat 1:

SLDC grant for renovations runs out at the beginning of 2012. Committee will review this at the next meeting. Tony Ingleby’s housing benefit has been suspended. Tony contacted Ken to say that SLDC are reviewing his situation and he needs to complete and return a form to them. Helen to chase this up.

Update on Grammar School Flat 2:

Tiles in Flat 2 kitchen need replacing and the plaster is damp and needs checking too. Helen to ask Julian Wilkinson if he can do this work. Margaret Schofield’s 2 year contract expires at the end of September. It was agreed to let the contract roll on. Helen to write to Margaret to confirm this.

Update on land:

High Pike Quarry – Paul Elgar has spoken to YDNP, Highways and Cumbria County Council about it and there are no objections to the quarry re-opening and Paul is confident planning permission will be granted. Ken to follow up. All land rents have been paid up to date.

Rent review:

Ken has spoken to Michael Mashitor about rent increases. J Bentham has not agreed to a rent increase but it is a fair rent. A Bentham has not agreed to a rent increase. Michael Mashitor will not charge for work as no rent increases obtained. He will keep trying to get increase and review every year.

The Chair’s annual report was agreed.

Accounts from 2009/10 and 2010/11 has been re-audited by accountant Rosemary Lewes and she has signed them both off.

Educational grants:

It was agreed to give some grants this year. Grants will be advertised in July and August and applications will be reviewed in September and the Committee will decide how much to give at the meeting in September.

Ken confirmed that he will be standing down as Chair and will be leaving the Committee. However, he will continue to act as a conduit for the proceedings at High Pike Quarry. Bronwen Osborne agreed to act as Chair for the next meeting and then a decision would be made as to who the new Chair would be. The Committee thanked Ken for all the work he had done as Chair.

There was no other business.

The meeting closed at 9pm.

MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON THURSDAY 17TH MARCH 2011

IN READING ROOM DENT

Present: Ken Smith (Chair), Brian Goad, Heather Fraser, Linda Cragg, Peter Boyles, David Wright, Wendy Cooke, Chris Evans, Helen Seabridge (clerk)

Apologies: Graham Dalton, Geoff Woof, Bronwen Osborne

Minutes of last meeting: agreed and signed as being correct.

Bank account balance

The balance of the account on 20th February was £6,087.63. Rents were due for the 2 flats so this would make the balance approximately £6,500. There are bills due to be paid for to the plumber and the electrician for work carried out in the Grammar School House.

The committee re-confirmed the reserves (for emergency repairs) at £10,000.

If the Grammar School House is let from April this should bring in an income, with the rent of the 2 flats, of approximately £13,000. There will be some expenditure expected this year, eg. Flat 1 electrician of £1,200. But the rent income plus the money currently in the account should mean approximately £11,000 in the bank at the end of the year.

Grammar School House update

Natalie Hawley and Stephen Hailey have applied to become the new tenants in the Grammar School House. Acceptable references have now been received for both of them from their employers. A monthly rent of £500 has been agreed.

Ken Smith has negotiated with Cobble Country that they would waive the £98 cancellation fee and they would just charge the fee for advertising the property 4 times which was £168. Brian Goad proposed and Linda Cragg seconded that the committee should accept this offer and pay Cobble Country £168.

Graham Dalton will prepare the new tenancy agreement.

The insurance company have confirmed that they will pay for all the repairs, except for the excess of £200. The total cost of the work including VAT (less the £200 excess) is £2,547.22. 75% paid in advance and then the balance paid when all the invoices are received.

Payments to be made: plumber £1,196.03, electrician £500, decorator £850.

Ken confirmed that the radiators were working but 1 storage heater is not working and this will be checked by the electrician. Steve Hawley will be starting the decorating on 21st March. The carpenter has fixed the floorboard and the kitchen doors. The glass has been replaced in the wood burning stove. The 3 piece suite which is being stored there will be offered to Natalie or removed by its owner next week. All Grammar School files are now stored in a locked cupboard in the house.

Report of Grammar School Flats

Tony Ingleby has said that he wants to stay in Flat 1 for another 6 months after April.

The committee agreed to wait until nearer the end of the time for the grant running out before making a decision on how to move forward with the renovation of Flat 1. This will be put on the agenda for the meeting in June.

Agricultural Land

No information to report on High Pike Quarry. Ken will keep chasing this and it will be put on the agenda for the meeting in June.

There has been no response from Michael Mashiter about the rent increases and Ken will keep chasing this. Ken reported that he was disappointed with the service received from the land agents and there has not been a rent increase for 4 years. It was suggested that another agent should be approached to do this work. But it was agreed to continue with Michael Mashiter for now and the committee should know by the end of April if a rent increase has been agreed or not. Ken will report on this at the meeting in June.

Land Registry

Nothing to report.

Educational Grants

The committee agreed that they would like to offer grants this year as grants had not been given for the past 2 years and the income from the Grammar School House should help this. Expectations could be managed by stating up front that there would only be a small amount of money available. Applications should be reviewed with the help of the charter to decide the best way to distribute the grants. The school should be asked to do a proposal for specific projects and not just given a pot of money as had happened in the past. It was agreed to amend the calendar and discuss the bursaries in full at the meeting in June.

AOB

Meetings would now be held on the 4th Thursday of the month. The  new dates  are attached with the Calendar of work (2011)

Graham Dalton was going to talk to Joan Woof about becoming a Governor.

Nothing to report on Flat 2.

The meeting closed at 8.30pm.

MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON THURSDAY 17TH MARCH 2011

IN READING ROOM DENT

Present: Ken Smith (Chair), Brian Goad, Heather Fraser, Linda Cragg, Peter Boyles, David Wright, Wendy Cooke, Chris Evans, Helen Seabridge (clerk)

Apologies: Graham Dalton, Geoff Woof, Bronwen Osborne

Minutes of last meeting: agreed and signed as being correct.

Bank account balance

The balance of the account on 20th February was £6,087.63. Rents were due for the 2 flats so this would make the balance approximately £6,500. There are bills due to be paid for to the plumber and the electrician for work carried out in the Grammar School House.

The committee re-confirmed the reserves (for emergency repairs) at £10,000.

If the Grammar School House is let from April this should bring in an income, with the rent of the 2 flats, of approximately £13,000. There will be some expenditure expected this year, eg. Flat 1 electrician of £1,200.
But the rent income plus the money currently in the account should mean approximately £11,000 in the bank at the end of the year.

Grammar School House update

Natalie Hawley and Stephen Hailey have applied to become the new tenants in the Grammar School House. Acceptable references have now been received for both of them from their employers. A monthly rent of £500 has been agreed.

Ken Smith has negotiated with Cobble Country that they would waive the £98 cancellation fee and they would just charge the fee for advertising the property 4 times which was £168. Brian Goad proposed and Linda Cragg seconded that the committee should accept this offer and pay Cobble Country £168.

Graham Dalton will prepare the new tenancy agreement.

The insurance company have confirmed that they will pay for all the repairs, except for the excess of £200. The total cost of the work including VAT (less the £200 excess) is £2,547.22. 75% paid in advance and then the balance paid when all the invoices are received.

Payments to be made: plumber £1,196.03, electrician £500, decorator £850.

Ken confirmed that the radiators were working but 1 storage heater is not working and this will be checked by the electrician. Steve Hawley will be starting the decorating on 21st March. The carpenter has fixed the floorboard and the kitchen doors. The glass has been replaced in the wood burning stove. The 3 piece suite which is being stored there will be offered to Natalie or removed by its owner next week. All Grammar School files are now stored in a locked cupboard in the house.


Report of Grammar School Flats

Tony Ingleby has said that he wants to stay in Flat 1 for another 6 months after April.

The committee agreed to wait until nearer the end of the time for the grant running out before making a decision on how to move forward with the renovation of Flat 1. This will be put on the agenda for the meeting in June.

Agricultural Land

No information to report on High Pike Quarry. Ken will keep chasing this and
it will be put on the agenda for the meeting in June.

 
There has been no response from Michael Mashiter about the rent increases and Ken will keep chasing this. Ken reported that he was disappointed with the service received from the land agents and there has not been a rent increase for 4 years. It was suggested that another agent should be approached to do this work. But it was agreed to continue with Michael Mashiter for now and the committee should know by the end of April if a rent increase has been agreed or not. Ken will report on this at the meeting in June.

Land Registry

Nothing to report.

 
Educational Grants

The committee agreed that they would like to offer grants this year as  grants had not been given for the past 2 years and the income from the Grammar School House should help this. Expectations could be managed by stating up front that there would only be a small amount of money available.
Applications should be reviewed with the help of the charter to decide the best way to distribute the grants. The school should be asked to do a proposal for specific projects and not just given a pot of money as had happened in the past. It was agreed to amend the calendar and discuss the bursaries in full at the meeting in June.

 
AOB

Meetings would now be held on the 4th Thursday of the month. The  new dates are attached with the Calendar of work (2011)

Graham Dalton was going to talk to Joan Woof about becoming a Governor.

Nothing to report on Flat 2.

 
The meeting closed at 8.30pm.

MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON THURS.20th JAN 2011

IN READING ROOM DENT.

Present  Ken Smith (Chair),  Brian Goad,  Heather Fraser,  Linda Cragg, Peter Boyles, David Wright, Graham Dalton ,Geoff Woof, Bronwen Osborne (note taker)

Apologies  Wendy Cooke, Chris Evans.

Minutes of Last Meeting   Agreed and signed as being correct.

Matters Arising not on agenda. Margaret Harrison had resigned as  manager of the properties.

Election of Officers for 2011

Chair Ken Smith agreed to remain as chair. Proposed by Peter Boyles, Seconded by Graham Dalton.

Treasurer Wendy Cooke wished to resign. In the absence of another Governor agreeing to take on the role it was suggested that she be asked to remain until a new Clerk could be found.

Clerk The position would be advertised immediately in Look Around & on the village notice board. Ken Smith had available a job description for the post  KS which he would circulate to Governors . The honorarium would be agreed at the March meeting .

Note Taker Bronwen Osborne agreed to continue but would be unable to attend the March meeting.

Governors terms of office David Wright had not found a replacement from Sedbergh Scool and would therefore continue as a Governor for the time being.

Peter Stephenson had resigned as a Governor  & Joan Woof would be asked to stand as she has close connections with Settlebeck School.

That would leave one vacancy as Cumbria County Council have a nominated Governor. There should be 13 Governors. That place would be discussed in March.

Bank Account Balance Today’s balance shows £6,762. A bill of £1,200 is expected for work carried out on alarms on the Grammar School Flats and one for £500 approx for Grammar school House following the burst pipes in December.

Rents are due in March for the agricultural properties. Michael Mashiter had not responded to requests to discuss the pending rent rises.                                    KS

Ken Smith had made the projection that should the House be let in May the Annual income from property & land would be approximately £13,104.

Grammar School House.

Ken Smith had reported to Governors in Dec that there had been considerable damage to the plumbing, electrics & a ceiling following the icy

weather. The tenants had left the house in November. The house was now beginning to dry out with the use of humidifiers and it was agreed that the house should now be heated although the cost would be approx £100/month.

Quotes for repairs were being gathered to send to the insurance company.

Photographs of the damage had been taken for the Loss Adjuster.

There had been little interest at Cobble Country from likely new tenants.

Grammar School  Flats.

Flat 2 needs electric tests at some stage. The tenant had asked to have a new kitchen installed.

Flat 1 is now occupied & the rent is paid by SLDC direct to DGSEF.

Fire and Smoke Safety alarms were installed in both flats in November

The offer of a grant of £2,500 would be available over the next year from SLDC to carry out work in Flat1 if it was matched from DGSEF. This would be reviewed later in the year depending on the financial position of the Foundation.

Land Registry    No Progress

High Pike Quarry   Interest had been shown again by a quarry owner in the reopening of the quarry.

Land Rent Review  The agent Michael Mashiter or a colleague from his firm needed to contact  Ken Smith as it was hoped new rents were to have been agreed to be paid in March.

A.O.B.   Ken Smith sought clarification as to how the payment of Public Liability Insurance was divided between The Dent United Charities, The Diocese and

DGSEF

Date of next Meeting 17th March       ALL

The meeting closed at 9 10 pm.

MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON THURSDAY  23^rd SEPT  2010      

IN DENT READING ROOM

Present   Ken Smith (Chair)  Brian Goad, Chris Evans, Bronwen Osborne,  Heather Fraser, Linda Cragg. Margaret Harrison

Apologies   Wendy Cooke, Peter Boyles, Peter Stephenson, David Wright .

Minutes of last Meeting  were agreed and signed.

Arising from Minutes   It was unclear whether Peter Boyles was to be a signatory for the cheques. This was confirmed.                                                          KS & PB

Bank account balance   Wendy had reported that there would be approx £3260 in the account at the end of Sept including Sept rent. There may be still £100 to be cleared for a roof repair to Grammar School House. Ken had estimated there would be approx. £6832 available in the account at the end of the year from rent from all of DGSEF’s properties & land.

Update on Grammar School House. There had been two small breakages and a leak in the roof had been repaired. The committee expressed sadness that the children were no longer attending Dent & Settlebeck Schools.

Report on Grammar School Flat 1 Margaret had continued to obtain estimates for the refurbishment. She had prepared a paper that had been circulated previously and this was discussed.

As South Lakeland Council had indicated they might be able to give generous grants, as set out in the paper it was agreed to put the whole proposal to them as soon as possible in the hope of securing the £3000 and make a start on the Kitchen development. This was proposed by Chris & seconded by Brian.

Margaret agreed to continue with this work on behalf of the Trustees        MH

There had been a resolution of an outstanding bill from Atlantic Electric suppliers of £168 and the power had been restored.

The period of exemption from Council Tax had expired and a bill for £326 for the half year had been received. Margaret had written to the Council asking for this to be waved taking into account our charitable status but so far had no reply.

Ken had been investigating the VAT situation for the refurbishment in the light of the charitable status.

Concern was expressed that it might be hard to find a tenant when work was completed. The Trustees should try to find a tenant in advance           ALL

Land  Registry   Land already registered was High Pike Quarry by Bradford diocese,

Tongue End and Parish Holme. Margaret had made contact with David Briggs who works with the Land Registry & he would advise on Grimes Field and Grimes Paddock. Possibly waving fees as we are a charity. Ken would forward this work in consultation with Graham Dalton.                                       KS & GD

Payment for High Pike Quarry Brian had agreed with Robert Mason that the rent could be increase by £5 to £20 which was due in Jan 10.

Annual Return to Charity Commission This had been completed.

Advert for new Clerk to the Governors.  Margaret agreed to continue to oversee the current work to the properties and Ken was able to follow up other issues. Bronwen would take the minutes, so for the time being it was felt we could postpone the appointment.

Educational Grants The possibility of offering these again should be discussed in the June 2011 meeting of the Trustees. It was felt it was important to invest in Flat1 at the moment.

Dates for next meetings   20^th Jan. 17^th March, 16^th June, 15^th Sept        ALL

A.O.B.

David Wright is questioning his continuing membership as governor due to his attendance level. There as been no response from the Bursar of the school and suggested we make contact with the new headmaster                                   KS.                                                                                                   

A card should be sent to a tenant Tony Bentham with best wishes for his recovery following time in hospital.                                                                              BG

The meeting closed at 9pm

MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON 24^TH JUNE 2010

IN THE DENT READING ROOM

PRESENT:  Ken Smith  [Chair ] Wendy Cooke, Bronwen Osborne, Graham Dalton, Peter Boyles, Peter Stephenson, Chris Evans, Heather Fraser     Margaret Harrison  [Secretary ]

APOLOGIES  none had been received.

MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING these were agreed and signed off as an accurate record.

MATTERS ARISING these were all listed on the Agenda for discussion.

UPDATE OF TENANTS FOR GRAMMAR SCHOOL HOUSE   Ken asked Margaret for an update on the new tenancy for Grammar School House.

Margaret reported that the new tenant & family had now signed up for the house, paid the required rent and taken possession. Graham had kindly prepared the tenancy agreement. At this point Ken asked Graham if there was a charge due for the agreement but Graham said there was none. Ken thanked Graham for his time.

Margaret then carried on to up date the Committee on the remainder of the work that had been necessary to complete the house.

There were several small joinery jobs curtain rails, lock to rear door etc. these had all now been completed. The biggest problem had been the fire in the large lounge. For safety this fireplace had needed a multifuel stove, this had obviously created more expense but a second hand stove had been sourced and had been fitted and the correct certification obtained. An additional heat detector [recommended by South Lakeland] had also been fitted.

It could finally now be recorded that Grammar School House had been completed to the required letting standard and was now tenanted.

GRAMMAR SCHOOL HOUSE FLAT 1   Margaret reported that to date there had been no tenancy interest for flat 1.  She had approached South Lakeland when they had signed off Grammar School House as to the possibility of some help by way of a grant to update the flat to their required standard.  Margaret had subsequently been informed that there was a possibility of a grant of 50% towards a new kitchen and a 75% grant towards a certain type of electrical wall heater.  The grant however, would be subject to the usual formal application and submission of estimates and outline of work required.  However, in view of the change of Government and the lapse of time (3 weeks) Margaret felt, and it was the feeling of the Committee, that the possibility of a grant could now have been withdrawn.  It was decided that as a first step Margaret should check with South Lakeland as to whether the offer was still on the table before the time-consuming task of completing the application and obtaining the estimates was begun.

ACCOUNTS  Wendy submitted to the Committee the Annual Accounts for the year ending 31 March 2010.  This showed a balance in hand of £11,237.12.  The accounts were then agreed and signed off for the year. 

Wendy pointed out that subsequent to the balance figure several bills for building work had had to be paid taking the current balance down to below £5,000.  Wendy pointed out that this needed to be borne in mind when considering work on Flat 1.

DIVISION OF WORK AND ROLL OF GOVERNORS

CHAIRMAN:  Ken briefly outlined his role of Chairman as he saw it, steering the Committee, liaising with insurance companies, land agent etc.

CLERK:  There was some discussion as to the clerk’s duties.  At present Margaret was engaged in the final refurbishment of Grammar School House.  She had made it clear that she did not want to remain on the Committee permanently, but would be willing to stay till the end of September 2010.  Ken asked if she would carry on with the refurbishment of Flat 1 if other clerk’s duties were removed from her workload.  At this point Bronwen volunteered to take the minutes of future meetings until such time as a permanent clerk is engaged. 

The Committee agreed that the way forward would be by way of advertising the clerk’s post together with the duties to include management of the two properties. This motion was proposed by Peter Stephenson and seconded by Peter Boyles. 

TREASURER:  Wendy said that she would be willing to carry on the role of Treasurer providing her present format of accounting was acceptable, and some back-up was available if need be.  Graham suggested that back-up from an accountant in Sedbergh might be available if required.  Ken accepted Wendy’s offer and expressed his thanks on behalf of the Committee.

Ken raised the question regarding the number of authorised signatories.  Presently two signatures are required to authorise a check.  However, it was felt it would be useful to increase the number to four to cover absenteeism such as holidays etc.  The signatories would be Wendy Cooke, Linda Cragg, Ken Smith.

GOVERNORS:  Ken felt it was necessary to clarify the actual role of the Governors.  (His document issued with last month’s Agenda refers).  As all the Governors were not present at the meeting it was felt that this should be discussed more fully at the September meeting.

LAND REGISTRY  Ken reported that it seems that most of the land, owned or part owned by the Foundation, had been registered.

He suggested that it might be useful to meet with Dent Combined Charities to clarify ownership of land and shared responsibility.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS  Ken asked whether the Committee would like the Foundation to be high profile or low profile.  For example he wondered whether they thought it was a good idea to participate in some way in Dent Show.  The Committee had no strong views on this.

Ken also said that he had updated the Dent Grammar School Educational Foundation section of the Dentdale website and encouraged the Governors to visit this.

DATE OF NEXT MEETING The next meeting was scheduled for Thursday 23 September 2010 to be held in the Reading Room at 7.30 p.m.

MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON THURSDAY 27^th MAY 2010

 IN THE DENT READING ROOM

PRESENT :  Ken Smith [ Chair ] Brian Goad , Peter Boyles, Chris Evans,

Bronwen Osborne, Wendy Cooke, Geoff Woof  & Margaret Harrison [ Secretary ]

APOLOGIES  were received from David Wright,  Linda Cragg, Heather Fraser & Graham Dalton.

MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING were agreed and signed.

INSURANCE

Ken reported that he had now completed action on renewal of the Insurance which had now been taken out with Aviva.

Cover included two properties and five parcels of land. He had also notified the Insurance company that two of the properties had been empty for more than 45 days.

TENANT FOR GRAMMAR SCHOOL HOUSE

Margaret was asked to put forward the applications she had received for the house. After elimination for a variety of reasons , a tenant was agreed upon who had two children one of whom would go to Dent school.

The new tenant Mr John Youde would be given a shorthold assured tenancy initially which would be subject to review after 6 months. Margaret would prepare an inventory. Ken would speak to Graham and ask him to prepare the agreement. It was hoped the start date of the tenancy would be 14^th June.

FLAT I

After discussion it was agreed that the stairlift in the hallway of the flats be removed. Ken volunteered to organise this. It might be a possibility that some scrap value could achieved.

Discussion then took place on the updating of the fire alarm system in the flats. It was now a requirement that the fire alarm system be wired into the electric.  It was agreed that Margaret get a price for this from the electrician.

LAND  TENANT  RENTS

Discussion then took place on the Land rents

 Ken updated us on the current situation regarding the rents for the land owned by the Foundation. The land agent had asked for a slight increase in rents for the forthcoming year but two of the tenants had refused to agree to this even though the rent was comparatively low.  It was agreed that this was a matter for future discussion.

High Pike Quarry amounted in total to 11 acres. The Foundation were receiving £15 annually for this, but the land was poor and in the main unfenced.

BURSARIES FOR 2010

Ken gave a quick summary of the years financial situation. In the light of the lack of income and the spend we had had to make on the properties he felt, and it was agreed by all, that there would be no bursaries given this year.

Ken then updated us on the work he had done on the Dentdale website, in

Relation to the details of the Foundation. He encouraged the Governors to have a look themselves @ www.dentdale.com/DGSEF

APPROVAL OF ACCOUNTS AND ANNUAL REPORT

The end of year accounts were circulated round the Committee and were approved. The discrepancy of £6.00 had been found. The figure in hand for the end of the year showed a credit of £11,237.12

  At 30/04/2010 the position was £5,500 in the bank with £2,000 still to be received from South Lakeland District Council.

Ken took the opportunity to thank Wendy for her hard work in preparing the Accounts  and handling the finances throughout the year.

DIVISION OF WORK AND ROLE OF THE GOVERNORS

Due to time constraints it was decided to leave this item and the remainder of the Agenda until the next Meeting.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

Ken put forward a suggestion to the Committee that they consider being party to a Dentdale Christmas card. No one had any objection to this but they felt that it should be costed first.

DATE OF NEXT MEETING

It was agreed that the next Meeting be scheduled for 24^th June in the Reading room at 7.30 pm.

MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON 21/04/2010  IN THE

DENT READING ROOM

The Meeting began at 7pm by a short visit to Grammar School House to inspect the building and renovation work which had been carried out.

PRESENT :  Peter Stephenson   [Vice Chair ] Wendy Cooke, Brian Goad,

Graham Dalton , David Wright ,Peter Boyles, Heather Fraser, Chris Evans

Linda Cragg and Margaret Harrison [ Clerk ]

APOLOGIES  had been received Ken Smith and Bronwen Osborne.

MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING  were agreed and signed.

MATTERS ARISING  Peter asked for a progress report from Heather and Margaret on the grant situation. They both had nothing further to report  but said that they would continue to pursue any avenues which seemed hopeful.

Wendy said that after a great deal of effort she had finalised the accounts but found them to be £6.00 adrift [  in credit ].She proposed to take no further action but would pass them on to Margery Glover who had kindly agreed to audit them for us.

RENOVATION OF GRAMMAR SCHOOL HOUSE  All were pleased that the house was almost completed and was now looking so good.

Brian proposed that  it be placed on record that the Governors had given their  thanks to Margaret & John Harrison for all the work  that they had put into the house, by coordinating and managing the tradespeople and in cleaning and removing rubbish from the house to bring it to its finished standard.

Margaret pointed out that there were still some items outstanding which would need to be bought before a tenant took occupation e.g firegrate,curtain rails etc. It was decided that these would be done when we had a tenant ready to occupy the property.

 REVIEW THE PROPOSAL FOR MANAGING THE PROPERTIES

Peter [Chair ] opened the discussion by referring to the recent meeting  that had taken place between Peter [Stephenson] Heather, Brian & and Peter Rushton with regard to the management of the properties.

Heather and Brian reported on the content of the meeting. Both had mixed feelings on whether it was the best way forward.It seemed that Peter Rushton had intimated that he had prospective tenants for the properties but in the event this proved not to be the case. There were also concerns that their publicity would not be wide enough and more importantly they had had minimal experience of the managing and letting of residential properties.

Graham drew the Governors attention to the “guidelines for prudent behaviour ” to which they should be adhering. In the light of this it was clear that we should be working to achieve rents in line with professional valuations. This was generally agreed by the group but it was also felt that at the end of the day it might be a question of how much rent we could achieve for the properties given the present market.

After discussion and contribution from all it was unanimously agreed that it was not the way forward for Peter Rushton to manage the properties.

Brian again outlined the method used on another Committee whereby, the property was advertised, applications received and considered, the agreement was drawn up by Graham, and the property was managed by the Committee.

After further discussion Wendy proposed that the Clerk [ Margaret ],  if in agreement, advertised the property, called a  meeting to discuss applications and thereon the Clerk managed the tenanted property ,being the first point of call for minor repairs. Repairs of a more serious nature would be referred to the Committee for authorisation.

Graham agreed that he would prepare the tenancy agreement.

Margaret agreed that she would take on the suggested role for a period of 6 months. At that point matters would be reviewed, but it was hoped that the 6 months trial period would give some indication of the level of activity that could be expected.  The proposal was unanimously agreed.

It was also agreed that the property be advertised more widely, with a view to the Governors meeting again around 15^th May to discuss any applications, with a view to a tenancy commencing on 1^st June. [ This Meeting is now scheduled for 24^th May.]

ACTION PLAN FOR FLAT 1

Unfortunately all the Governors had not had the opportunity to view Flat 1 but Wendy gave a brief summary of its condition .Whilst not in as bad a state as the house it needs some updating before we can realistically hope to rent it.

 The kitchen is very dated the cooker requires replacing and the electricity requires a safety check.

It was felt that it would probably be better to focus on the Flat 1 when a tenant was found for Grammar School House and there was some money in hand. If however a tenant came along in the meantime the situation would be discussed again.

NEXT MEETING

It was decided by the Chair  [ Peter ] that at this point the remainder of the Agenda would be deferred until the next quarterly meeting scheduled for 24^thJune 2010.

Note of our Meeting held 18^th March 2010

PRESENT:   Ken Smith [Chairman]   Wendy Cooke, Brian Goad, Peter Stephenson, Graham Dalton, Geoffrey Woof, Bronwen Osborne, Linda 

Cragg, Heather Fraser, Chris Evans, Margaret Harrison [Clerk].

APOLOGIES were received from Peter Boyles and David Wright.

MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING were agreed.

MATTERS ARISING Wendy gave an update on the position re Council Tax

Liability for Grammar School House.

After a long struggle South Lakeland had finally accepted that the house is temporarily uninhabitable and have granted 6 months exemption from payment of Council Tax. If the house remains empty at the end of 6 months the liability will be 50%.

Graham pointed out that “repaired” should read “repayed “[para 10 line 11]

OLD FILES   Ken asked whether there was any objection to him taking away the old files stored in the Reading Room to check their contents and historical value .No one had any objection to this.

CLERKS TITLE   It was confirmed the correct title for the clerical aide was Clerk

and not Secretary.

ACCOUNTS Wendy reported that all monies which had previously been spread

Over three accounts had now been deposited into one account for ease of administration. Wendy asked the Committee if there was anyone who would be willing to help her check the Accounts.

RENOVATION OF GRAMMAR SCHOOL HOUSE    Margaret then gave an update on the progress of the work currently being undertaken on the house. It was hoped to contain the cost of the renovation to the £17,800 originally agreed by the Committee plus the grant of £10,000 awarded to us by South Lakeland.

Unfortunately the original estimates had been increased by several of the Trades men due to unseen defects not originally apparent. One example of this was the complete rebuilding of the chimney stack which had involved the hire of scaffolding and the purchase of new materials for the chimney. Another example was the rear wall of the small bedroom where a large crack had appeared from floor to ceiling when the wallpaper had been removed.

As the trades people had only been prepared to give estimates, not fixed prices some increases were to be expected when the true condition of the property was revealed. It seems that the increased spend will be in the region of £5,500 in total.

The date of completion for building work in the house is expected to be around the end of March. This will be followed by the necessary electrical checks, cleaning, carpet fitting and finally the check by South Lakeland prior to them releasing the last part of the Grant. This may well take us to the second week in April.    

South Lakeland District Council had visited recently and on the strength of the work seen, were prepared to advance £8,000 on account of the previously agreed Grant.

The Committee were concerned that on the figures shown there would only be around £4,000 left in credit in the Foundations account when all the tradesmen had been paid. It was therefore proposed by the Chairman and agreed by the Committee that no more money be spent on the House.

GRANTS FOR THE RENOVATION OF GRAMMAR SCHOOL HOUSE

The Chairman asked for an up to date progress report on the sourcing of further grants for the House.

Heather gave a full update on the 7 Charities she had contacted since the last Meeting. Unfortunately none of them had considered the Foundations need sympathetically. It had proved a learning curve in that most of the organisations would not consider a Grant once the work had been started. Neither did it lie well with them that we, as a Charity were distributing money ourselves. They felt that they should actually be controlling to whom money was given.

Heather said that she would be willing to carry on if needs be, if new contacts could be found.

Margaret had had similar experiences, several Charities making the point that we should be looking to maintain our Capital assets ourselves as our first priority. However there were two Charities where there was still a possibility of some funding dependant on us submitting a compelling case of need. Margaret has this in hand and will advise the Committee of the outcome in due course though Applications can take up to 3 months initial processing.

Heather made the point that in the future we should decide whether we are going to apply for a Grant before we begin work on renovating a property thus eliminating ourselves on one of the criteria.

INSURANCE   ken [Chairman] gave us an update on his progress on achieving a more competitive price for the Insurance. After some research he had amalgamated the Insurances with a new company achieving a saving of £240.47.

The point was raised that Grammar School House was not in fact insured whilst empty. Ken undertook to contact the Insurance Company the next day to remedy this.

MEETING WITH PROPERTY MANAGER Since the last Meeting we are no longer using Chris Whelan’s services as Property Manager.  Ken therefore put to the Committee the options available to fill this role for the future.

Two suggestions were put forward by Ken  1]  for the residential properties to be managed by our existing Land Agent Hodgsons   2]  for the properties to be managed by two local people Matt Clayton & Peter Rushton who had recently set up a business managing holiday cottages.

Much debate followed amongst the Committee as to the best way forward.

Some of the Governors felt that a more experienced Residential Letting Company was appropriate. Brian suggested that the job be amalgamated with the Clerks job and retained in house.

Finally Peter [ Vice Chair ] put a proposal to the vote. His proposal was “that the Committee try to find tenants for both Grammar School House and Flat 1 by posters advertisements etc. That we use Graham [with his agreement] for the legalities, that a small designated group meet with Matt Clayton & Peter Rushton to see what they had to offer in terms of Management and at what cost.  “

 The findings would then be brought back to the Committee at a future Meeting and a decision as to the way forward would be made.

The Committee then took a vote and the above proposal was accepted.

MEETING WITH LAND AGENT

Ken reported to the Committee that he had a meeting with the Land Agent concerning the three parcels owned by the Foundation namely Grimes Field, Parish Holme and Tongues End.

Rent negotiations had taken place by the Agent with the tenants and a small increase in the rents had been achieved.

POSITION WITH FLAT  I

This Flat had been recently vacated. Ken had made a visit and felt that it was desirable there would be some work mostly of a minor nature that would be needed before the Flat could be relet  e.g. painting of landing and stairs, recarpeting of bathroom.

The stair lift was still in place but arrangements had been made to have it checked for safety before the decision was put to the Committee as to whether it should be retained.

A rent of £375 a month had been suggested by Hodgsons.

UNDERSTANDING WHAT WE HAVE   Ken had taken photographs of each parcel of Land for future reference if required.

At this stage of the evening it was decided that the remaining items on the agenda should be held over until the next Meeting as there was insufficient time to discuss.

NEXT MEETINGS

The next Quarterly Meetings were scheduled for 7.30 on  June 24^th and Sept 23^rd  respectively.

* It was also felt that an earlier Meeting should be arranged to discuss the way forward on the Letting Agent situation and consider any applications from prospective tenants.

The Meeting closed at 9.45pm.

*   IT IS NOW SUGGESTED THAT THIS MEETING BE HELD ON WEDNESDAY

   21^ST APRIL AT 7.30 IN THE READING ROOM.

  IT IS ALSO SUGGESTED THAT EVERYONE MEET AT GRAMMAR SCHOOL  

   HOUSE PRIOR TO THE MEETING TO VIEW THE WORK CARRIED OUT.                                                                                              

MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON 21^ST JANUARY 2010

IN THE READING ROOM AT 7.30PM.

PRESENT:  Wendy Cooke [Chairperson] David Wright, Peter Stephenson,

Bronwen Osborne, Linda Cragg, Geoff Woof, Ken Smith, Chris Evans, Heather

Fraser & Margaret Harrison {Secretary}

1.  APOLOGIES were received from Peter Boyles, Graham Dalton, and Brian Goad.

2. WELCOME TO NEW MEMBERS  Wendy extended a warm welcome to three

new members joining the Committee, Ken Smith, Chris Evans, & Heather Fraser.

3. ELECTION OF CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR  Wendy tendered her resignation after

a difficult year, Bronwen also felt that she lived too far away to usefully continue as vice chair.

Nominations were therefore requested for the posts of Chair and Vicechair.

Ken Smith agreed to take on the role of Chairperson with Peter Stephenson as Vicechair. Both were formally elected.

4. MINUTES OF LAST MEETING  the minutes of the last meeting were agreed and signed.

5. MATTERS ARISING  there were none.

6. CHARITY COMMISSION  Wendy reported that the Annual return had been sent to the Charity Commission, but it might not be necessary to submit a return for the current year as the level of income for a return to be necessary was £10,000. As two of our properties were empty at the present time our income for this year might not reach that amount.

7.  COUNCIL TAX   South Lakes District Council had sent us a bill for £335.00 for Grammar School House from December last year.

Wendy was presently engaged in an ongoing debate with SLDC as to whether or not the house was habitable at the present time, and suitable for reletting. The discussion was ongoing and the present position was that she was awaiting  a response from S.L.D.C.

8. FINANCIAL REPORT  Wendy reported that the monies presently held amounted to £26,959.These monies were presently spread between 3 accounts.Wendy suggested that it would be more appropriate for the 3 accounts to be merged into one for ease of administration and this was agreed.

9. FLAT 1 GRAMMAR SCHOOL HOUSE   Mark Dodds the tenant of flat 1 has handed his notice into Chris Whelan. This means that the flat will be vacant from February 14^th.

Chris Whelan wished to ask the Committee whether Mark Dodds last months rent could be waived in lieu of the £500 worth of carpets he had had fitted in the flat 6 months earlier, and also in acknowledgment of the painting he had undertaken. The Committee were generally of the opinion that the cost of the carpets should not be refunded, but they suggested that Chris Whelan ask Mark Dodds If he could show receipts for the carpets before a final decision was made.

10.  GRAMMAR SCHOOL HOUSE RESTORATION

Margaret [Secretary] was then asked by Wendy to give a summary of the present situation on Grammar School House which is currently undergoing renovation.

A team of local workmen have been gathered and the various jobs have now been allocated after tendering.

Following a visit to Grammar School House by SLDC an application was made which has proved highly successful and we have been notified that subject to final inspection and the house meeting current letting standards an award of £10,000 has been granted towards the renovation of the house.

[There will be some restrictions attached to this loan.e.g. the loan would have to be repaired if the house is sold within 5 years.]

This extra amount together with the £17,800 voted by the Committee at the last meeting should now prove sufficient to bring the house up to an acceptable standard of repair so that we can become competitive in the current letting market

The more expensive structural problems, repairs to the roof, chimneys and internal walls can now be addressed, with this extra funding.

The work is well underway with Margaret co-ordinating the sequence of events and sourcing materials as and where appropriate.

The work has been hampered due to bad weather but with luck should be completed by the end of March or shortly thereafter.

Letting will be in the hands of Chris Whelan, monitored by our new Chairman Ken Smith.

The grant funding will only be payable after the property has been inspected. This may present problems in terms of cash flow. Margaret will speak to SLDC nearer the completion date to see if there is any flexibility on this.

11.  FURTHER FUNDING   It was felt by the Committee that there could still be further avenues of funding available for Grants towards the restoration work.

A list of possible sources was divided between the Governors for them to pursue separately and report back.

12. ANY OTHER BUSINESS  Bronwen mentioned to the new Chairman that the cupboard in the Reading Room still held a lot of papers relating to the background of the Foundation. Some of these papers could be useful historically.

13.DATE OF NEXT MEETING The next Meeting was scheduled for Thursday

18^th March.  Quarterly meetings were planned for June, September and October of 2010 and adhoc if required.

The Meeting closed at 9pm.

DENT GRAMMAR SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION

MEETING OF GOVERNORS

Minutes of Meeting held on Friday 23 October  2009 in the Hill Studio at 7.00 pm

PRESENT:  W Cooke (Chairperson)  Brian Goad  Linda Cragg  Jock Cairns  Geoff  Woof

                      Margaret Harrison  (Secretary)

1.      APOLOGIES received from:  Peter Stephenson  Peter Boyles  Ken McClurg

Graham Dalton  David Wright and Bronwen Osborne

2.      MINUTES OF LAST MEETING were agreed and signed.  There were no matters arising.

3.      CHANGE OF MEMBERSHIP  Jock Cairns had submitted his resignation due to other commitments. Ken  McClurg had also tendered his resignation.Wendy thanked both for their contribution to the Committee.

4.      NEW MEMBER Ken Smith had applied to join the Committee.

      It was proposed by Jock Cairns and seconded by Linda Cragg that Ken Smith be   

      appointed as a new co-opted member.

5.      GRAMMAR SCHOOL HOUSE  The Committee then moved on to the main business of the evening, the renovation of Grammar School House.  It had emerged that Chris Whelan was not contracted to project manage complete renovations, the agreement was that he attended to the day to day minor repairs.

6.      SUB COMMITTEE GRAMMAR SCHOOL HOUSE

Margaret had volunteered to project manage the work, seeking agreement for any additional spend.

It was agreed therefore that Margaret be backed by a Sub –Committee consisting of Peter Boyles Wendy Cooke and Ken Smith.

The Committee agreed that £17,800 be set aside for the renovation and if the amount required exceeded this sum the sub-committee would refer back to the full Committee .

Margaret would try to obtain a grant to assist with the spend on the renovation.

The work would hopefully be completed in early Spring if no major faults were uncovered. The house would then be passed back to Chris Whelan to for him to put back

on the letting market.

7.      ANY OTHER BUSINESS

There was none.

8.      DATE OF NEXT MEETING   

It was agreed that the January Meeting be held on Thursday 21^st at 7.30 in the Reading Room