OXFORD WATERSIDE RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION

 

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

 

Tuesday 22nd June, 2010

 

The Eleventh Annual General Meeting of

the Oxford Waterside Residents Association

 

8pm, Tuesday 22nd June, 2010

St Margaret’s Institute, Polstead Road, Oxford


 

Chair: Stuart Skyte

 

Accompany Chair: Bernard Jones, OWRA Treasurer

 

Present: approximately 35 residents

 

1. Welcome and Apologies: Apologies were received from Felicity Lusk, Aprajita Verma, Faye Owen, Wanie Squeers, Shelagh Brooks, Averil Cameron.

 

2. Report of the OWRA committee for the year ended May 2009. Key points:

  1. Information flow is a key priority - newsletters, website, notice board, door-to door notices, etc.  Large amount of information on recycling. New welcome pack for tenants.
  2. List of tradespeople is very popular.
  3. Many commments and queries raised with OWRA on issues such as the communal gardens, abandoned bicycles, litter, recycling, graffiti, parking problems, anti-social behaviour, bike racks.
  4. Lobbied/maintained contacts with City and County.
  5. Worked closely with the Management Company on extra bike racks, garden maintenance (Gillian Skyte and Mary Ann Dale), new trees, etc.
  6. Supported OxClean in conjunction with the Canalside Environment Group.
  7. Thanks to all those who had helped and supported OWRA, and attended meetings on our behalf.

 

3. Chair’s report: Stuart Skyte highlighted:

  1. The success of the campaign to “save the Spinney” and the new benches and bins now in situ.
  2. The possibility of train horn noise disappearing if the railway crossing is closed by 2012
  3. Several successful litter picks; thanks to Caroline Methot in particular.
  4. The improvements in Waterside grounds; thanks in particular to Gillian Skyte and Mary Ann Dale.
  5. The forthcoming summer BBQ on 3 July.
  6. Involvement in community groups such as the Neighbourhood Action Group – working with the police on local crime priorities and issues – and don’t create spin-off problems for Waterside.

 

4. Annual accounts

    1. 85 households had joined OWRA in the year
    2. A deficit of £109-62 on the year.
    3. Cash in bank at the year-end was £834-99.
    4. It was agreed to keep the annual fee at £5 per household

 

5. New Committee: The following had self-nominated and were elected to serve on the Committee: Michael Atkinson, Richard Groves, Stuart Skyte, Aprajita Verma, Liz Kershaw and Amanda Spriggs.

 

6. There was a presentation from Chiltern Rail on their proposed additional track and the implications for Waterside. There were questions on issues such as: train speed, noise and vibration, visual and acousticscreening, tree preservation, distance of the new track from Waterside, goods trains, subsidence, length of trains on the new track, etc.

Stephen Barker, Allan Dare and Paul Clarke from Chiltern Rail were thanked for their attendance.


7. As there was no other business the meeting was closed at 8.15.