Minutes of Meeting held at The Old Lodge Hotel, Malton, Wednesday, April 9th
2008
Present: Denys Townsend, Malcolm Chalk, Paul Andrews, Roddy
Bushell, Graham Hampshire, Sylvia Milson, John Marshall, Jeremy Powell, Zoe
Plummer, Tim Sinclair, John Collins
Apologies: Tracy Holroyd, David Jeffells
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
1. Officers Reports
Denys Townsend presented Chairman/Officers reports for the year 2007, following
adoption of a constitution.
Unanimously approved.
2. Accounts
Denys Townsend presented the accounts for the period ended 31
December 2007
Resolution to approve - unanimously agreed.
3. Nominations for committee 2008/9
Denys Townsend, Malcolm Chalk, Sylvia Milson, John Marshall, Roddy Bushell, Zoe
Plummer, Tim Sinclair
Unanimously approved.
4. Election of Officers:
Chairman: Denys Townsend
Deputy Chairman: Malcolm Chalk
Treasurer: (Denys Townsend suggested that a director of the holding company be
elected)
Secretary: Tracy Holroyd (in absentia)
All of the above nominations/suggestions approved.
5. Annual Subscription 2008/2009
5.1. £40 per annum.
5.2. Businesses that have paid Malton & Norton Chamber of Trade subscriptions
for 2007 and 2008 should receive a credit against 2008/2009 BIA subscription
following their agreement to become members.
Denys Townsend / Sylvia to arrange letter to those involved.
Membership renewals are also to go out.
Both above proposals agreed unanimously.
MONTHLY MEETING
1. MINUTES OF LAST MEETING.
Denys Townsend presented.
Unanimously approved
2. RCD STEERING GROUP
Denys Townsend reported he had attended this (minutes to be
posted on the District Council website). Attendees included the Fitzwilliam
Estate, BIA, the Auctioneers and the Council. The Livestock Market/Wentworth
Street car park issues were high on the agenda. Denys reported he had put
forward the agreed views of the BIA group on the livestock market. Another
meeting had been set up, to report back within ten days.
Roddy Bushell commented Smiths Gore were the agents re the
Showfield Lane site and that the Estate was involved in discussions re the
livestock market site.
Paul Andrews commented that the meeting had accepted the status
of Malton as a market town.
Roddy Bushell suggested that the BIA needed to appreciate the
underlying realities – that the District Council wants to build a 35,000 sq feet
superstore on the Wentworth Street site (land value £8). This would not resolve
the general retail problems in the town centre, but would threaten the Estate’s
plans for regeneration of same, including a high-end retail site.
Malcolm Chalk suggested that no local businesses would support
the idea of a superstore at Wentworth Street, but that there was general
acceptance of the benefits of said high-end town centre retail site.
Paul Andrews pointed out that Wentworth Street redevelopment
would destroy current livestock market parking. He advised of a Car Parks Action
Group meeting on Weds April 16th at the Fine Food Theatre and urged as many as
possible to attend.
Malcolm Chalk suggested that this was “Save our Businesses”
rather than “Save our Parking”.
It was agreed that there should be two separate, but linked campaigns. The first
focussed simply on saving parking spaces and the second, driven by local
business/BIA, with a broader agenda including town centre redevelopment.
Roddy Bushell stressed the need for such campaigning to be
immediate – “the louder, the quicker, the better”.
Denys Townsend suggested a BIA letter to the Council (copied to
the press): deadline April 11th.
Unanimously agreed.
Jeremy Powell suggested a poster for local shops to display. He
agreed to produce and distribute this.
3. MUSEUM/TIC RELOCATION
Roddy Bushell reported that the lease on the building was
ending and that the Estate had simply asked the Council to consider the optimum
use of the location
Paul Andrews commented that two tourism officers from Ryedale
were currently on secondment to Scarborough
4. MALTON “EXPLOSION OF ART”
Denys Townsend referred to this week’s Mercury article on plans to organise an
event in July involving participation of local businesses. There was little
enthusiasm to become involved in a planned Chas 'n' Dave concert at the Milton
Rooms (£4,000 artists fee + associated costs).
5. STATE OF TRADE SURVEY
Malcolm Chalk reported serious reservations about the quantity/quality of the
data gathered. Investigation of the data presented revealed serious flaws.
Despite this, Roddy Bushell suggested that key conclusions, on issues that can
be addressed by the Council, should be presented (and publicised) as soon as
possible.
The key issues were agreed as parking, Saturday / Farmers markets and tourism.
Denys Townsend to draft a latter to the Council.
6. EVENTS PLANNING
6.1 Business Directory/Map
Zoe Plummer reported plans for (and presented drafts of) .
Still some discussion to be had with the Estate re the placement in empty
premises.
Roddy Bushell commented that production/distribution of such a
publication was critical. The Meeting was in favour of developing this idea.
Zoe Plummer agreed to commission/distribute a new draft for feedback.
6.2 Celebrate Malton
Roddy Bushell advised of plans for a Traditional Buildings
Fair, to be held June 27th/28th. It would include craft demonstrations,
exhibitions, lectures.
The group agreed to try to add any other “Celebrate Malton” activities to this
event., and that last year’s sub-committee should be re-convened to drive this
forward
6.3 Food Festival
Zoe Plummer reported that her Castle Howard contact had left,
hence that liaison was dead, but that she was in contact with Deliciously
Yorkshire re a joint promotion on July 20th.
6.4 Malton Motor Show
Denys Townsend reported feedback from Minster1 FM that they
were interested in taking part: suggested date September 7th.
Denys Townsend to liaise with the Council re this date.
6.4 Bags For Life
Zoe Plummer reported plans to include promotion of Malton/Norton. The project is
being moved by Thrive and the Fairtrade group. Local schools have been invited
to take part in a logo design competition (to be judged at an event in the
Milton Rooms on May 1st). The plan is to offer the bags to local businesses at
£1.80, for sale at £2.50.
6.5 AOB
Malcolm Chalk presented new drafts of the Town Trail leaflet. Some discussion re
out-of-date plaques on some buildings, and whose responsibility they were.
Author:Malcolm Chalk
Date:07/05/2008
