Widcombe Association
Annual General Meeting 2018
Thursday 19 April 2018 starting at 7.30 pm
Held at the Wharf Room, Widcombe Social Club
Attendance: 59 signed register
Including:
4 visitors (3 friends of Barry Gilbertson and 1 FoBRA representative)
1 joining on the night
Sally Helvey – Cleveland Pools Project stand
Apologies
Cllr Jasper Becker (diary clash)
Committee members:
Chris Rogers
Members:
Richard Wales
Beverley Wallis
Liz Jefferies
Keith and Jessica Palmer
Mary and Ralph Woodman
Peter Jones
Anthony StJohn Steiner
Ozzie Ffield
Alasdair Campbell
Guest Speakers
Paul Simons – Chairman Cleveland Pools Bath Project
Prof Barry Gilbertson – Chairman City of Bath UNESCO World Heritage Site Advisory Board
Chairman’s Remarks(Jeremy Boss)
Highlighted significant achievements:
Foxhill, WA aligned with residents to defeat cable car project and subsequently worked with them as a public voice to prevent their homes being demolished.
Bob Flowerdew, major event by Garden Club featuring nationally known garden broadcaster.
Made in Widcombe Dinner, highly successful and enjoyable event.
And some controversies:
Rossiter Road remedial works. Currently waiting for work at White Hart junction (promised shortly after Easter). Not everything WA would have liked but some improvement to pedestrian routes, removal of setts (which are not standing up to passage of lorries) and white lining to deter drivers from blocking the mini-roundabouts. Signage has been improved somewhat. WA pressing for clearer markings at the loading bay and for better enforcement against its misuse.
Student accommodation. Major local proposals: Pickfords’ site and Cricket Club. Universities expanding student numbers without providing corresponding accommodation.
Future events highlighted:
Street Party on Sunday 1 July 2018. Volunteers to assist asked to contact Hilary Furlonger (hfurlonger@gmail.com)
Widcombe Art Trail on Sat/Sun 19/20 May 2018
Vintage London Bus tour to a Mystery Garden on Friday 1 June 2018
Secretary’s Remarks(Alan Langton)
Communications: hoped all membership households are receiving Talking Points, keeping them informed. He welcomes responses and feedback. Apologies for continued outdated website. Recent training for some committee members to update content directly and intention is to add content and keep up to date.
Treasurer’s Remarks(Deborah Clements)
An active and successful year. Over £4,000 income from membership fees. WA supported or underwrote major exhibitions by Timothy Richards (model maker), Opera (Rigoletto), screening of Dispossession – The Great Social Housing Swindle, Chinese Garden Tour, Made in Widcombe evening and Bob Flowerdew’s talk.
Over £9,000 donated, including £250 to Widcombe Junior School, £1,000 to Widcombe Social Club, £2,000 to Action on Hearing Loss (EDC), £1,000 to Bath Welcomes Refugees and £1,000 to Jamie’s Farm. Donations towards handrails on Lyncombe Hill, Welcome to Widcombe sign and Widcombe Magazine. WA also handles the accounts for Energy Efficient Widcombe, Widcombe Choir, Craft Fair and Garden Club, which are all self-funding.
The meeting formally approved the WA Financial Accounts for the year to 31 December 2017.
Transfer of Treasurer
Following move away from Widcombe, Deborah resigned as Treasurer with effect from the AGM, concluding by remarking that it been a privilege to work with the committee; Jeremy moved thanks with acclamation by the committee and membership present. Deborah has undertaken to attend one further committee meeting to complete a smooth handover.
Highways and Traffic Remarks(Mike Wrigley)
Parking: WA asked by the Council to conduct residents’ opinion surveys about possible extensions to Controlled Parking Zones (CPZ). CPZs can include a variety of waiting restrictions and permits depending on circumstances. There is a lengthy prior process. The Bear Flats and Alexandra Park areas will have CPZs coming into effect this autumn, which is likely to increase parking pressures on other local roads. The WA is to test residents’ views in Greenway Lane, Rosemount Lane, Lyncombe Vale Road, Lyncombe Vale and Perrymead. The WA is itself neutral. The Council has indicated that if more than 50% of residents in any of these roads support the introduction of a CPZ then it will start the process. The Council has indicated that it would be willing to be flexible in its use of parking controls in order to respond to the particular problems in individual roads. The Council has also indicated that it is willing to consider a modified zone that excludes roads that do not vote in favour of the scheme.
The survey begins early May with replies sought by the end of that month. Survey forms will explain the range of options in a CPZ, with a contact name and telephone to assist for each of the roads. WA will analyse the results and present to the Council but without recommendations. The results will be made available to WA members.
Elections
The following were nominated, seconded and (re)elected nem con.
Hilary Furlonger– Treasurer (initial election)
Marion Phillips– Independent Reviewer of Accounts (re-election)
Jeremy thanked all WA volunteers without whom the Association could not function. The committee are currently looking for one additional member, particularly someone younger.
Guest Speakers
Paul Simons: Cleveland Pools Project
Fascinating, well-illustrated talk on Bathwick’s hidden heritage and the group of volunteers seeking to restore it. A show of hands revealed a scatter of individuals who swam in the pools when still in use and a substantial majority who have visited over recent years. The oldest outdoor swimming pool in Britain, possibly in Europe, constructed in 1815-17 at the very end of the Georgian period. The aim was to relocate boys swimming naked in the river to somewhere more secluded. From the outset it encouraged swimming lessons and might be seen as a harbinger of current UK competiveness in this sport.
The pools feature Bath’s smallest crescent (changing rooms) either side of manager’s cottage. John Stothert and John Pinch were 2 of 85 subscribers. Built on land owned by the Duke of Cleveland. Initially just a men’s pool; a second, enclosed on all sides, was provided to meet the demand for a women’s pool. Managed in the early years by flamboyant Capt Evans, who taught children to swim and initiated galas.
Aim now is to restore to use by local people. Water heating to be by heat exchange pump in river, and also to use natural filtration. Access by river, cycle and on foot. Project costed at £5m of which £4m is being sought from the Lottery Heritage Fund.
Further information at: www.clevelandpools.org.uk
Prof Barry Gilbertson: Bath UNESCO World Heritage Site
Our main, again beautifully illustrated, wide ranging presentation. Barry set out his own background to his voluntary role chairing the City of Bath UNESCO World Heritage Site Advisory Board, leading to his insightful observation that:
“As the internet, smart phones and technology clone the peoples of the world; as music and sport are increasingly international; as clothing becomes universal and; as travel and communications become easier and cheaper, ultimately only culture and heritageremain to differentiate us.”
The origins and purposes of UNESCO – United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation in the aftermath of WW2, soon followed by an international project to relocate the, massive and irreplaceable, Temples of Abu Simbel (1244-24 BC) in advance of flooding created by the Aswan Dam, Egypt. As Bathonians we took pride in the following slide of “Places of outstanding universal value to the whole of humanity”: Taj Mahal, Great Wall of China, Great Barrier Reef and our own City of Bath.
Barry’s ensuing slides set the Bath WHS (inscribed 1987) and Bath and North East Somerset Council in the global heritage scene. Bath and Venice are on a par. Bath’s Advisory Board comprises national and local organisations. Its composition includes:
29 sq kilometres (about 11 sq miles)
c89,000 residents (including upwards of c25k students)
4 Scheduled Ancient Monuments
c 5,000 Listed Buildings
3 Hot Springs
c1500 Planning + c700 Listed Building applications pa
An almost unique ability to directly monetise its WHS status, via the Roman Baths etc
More locally Widcombe Ward includes 272 Listed Buildings (8 Grade 1)
Bath WHS Management Plan 2016-2022 sets wide ranging, though not open ended, priorities, objectives and actions.
This led into a particularly fascinating set of issues: costs and benefits, ratio of tax paying residents to visitors, and ideas to recoup income to the public purse from visitors (c5.7m pa). Barry then contrasted the WHS emblem’s current modest exposure in Bath, with evident potential for a higher profile.
The WHS Enhancement Fund: a partnership arrangement with a budget of c£30k pa (leveraging much greater sums). Illustrated examples of its work, and challenges, included Arts and Crafts Railings on George Street (previously restored but recently again damaged), Watchman’s Box on Norfolk Crescent, restored roadside markers and a programme restoring incised street signs. The Fund has 30+ projects in hand including, locally, contributing to the Prior Park Historic Cascade and Dams Restoration. Just completed is the colourful Coat of Arms over Mr Doshi’s chemist shop on Argyle Street.
Barry’s slides concluded by setting Bath’s context as one of the Great Spas of Europe, and its value to the City. He concluded by stressing the importance of continued awareness of the WHS, across the City and here locally, asking his audience to take away:
World Heritage in Bath is significant and important … for the City, its residents, businesses and visitors.
More and better use of the WHS emblem
WHS awareness-raising talks
Join an ad-hoc working group
Fund raising opportunities
Some Council income raised by Bath’s heritage should be budgeted back into the City to protect, preserve and promote our World Heritage assets and status for future generations.
And finally the thought that:
We are not our past, but World Heritage is vitally important to the future of our beautiful City of Bath.
Information on the Enhancement Fund is at
https://www.bathworldheritage.org.uk/enhancement-fund
Barry’s presentation slides may be viewed at: WHS v16a for Widcombe Association April 2018
Copyright to Barry Gilbertson and Bath World Heritage, prior consent must be sought for use (contact details on the slides).
Drink, nibbles and chatting
On a more prosaic note, having thanked our speakers, the meeting broke for drinks, nibbles and chatting – much of the last focussing on the insights we had been presented with.
Alan Langton
WA Secretary
26 April 2018