May appears to be the month for AGMs, and Broadstone Residents are no exception.

The Annual Meeting was held in St John's Church hall, and over sixty members and guests attended, including our local MP.

The meeting heard the Annual Report from the Chairman, followed by the reports from the Officers. Topics included old 'chestnuts' such as the Footpath 5 and Toastrack Parking, where the BRA survey seemed to have attained less significance than the number of voters warranted, and covered more recent events such as the mis-appropriated Council land at Delph Woods. Deer were becoming a horticultural problem, and seemed temporarily to have superseded vandalism as problem of the moment!

The treasurers report painted a similar picture to recent years, but did not really reflect the rise in Membership - now over 3000 households. Recently the Executive Committee had voted to be more active in our support for local Associations, and, in view of these two events had proposed an increase in the Annual Subscription for 2003.

Planning had seen a number of schemes for denser development in parts of the Ward, and most of our objections had resulted in fewer properties being squeezed into sites. One objection that failed on Appeal was the enlarged Office/Workshop in Story Lane. As usual, our army of Wardens who deliver the Magazines and collect the subscriptions, had a few unfilled vacancies. They were however warmly congratulated on their efforts.

The education report was nearly all good news, with the local LEA getting a very good Ofsted Report, as did the local schools. They had also achieved well in obtaining awards in other fields, such as Broadstone Middle Schools Sportsmark award.

Andrew Williams, Head at Corfe Hills was moving on, and would be replaced next year.

After the Reports, Dr K Fleming, the President, took the Chair for the Election of Officers. There had been no other nominations and the Committee was re-elected unopposed. Whilst this is quick and simple, it poses a threat inasmuch that no new blood is coming forward. A few years ago, the Ferndown Residents' Association collapsed from a complete lack of new Officers.

The last formal part of the meeting was a discussion about increasing the annual subscription. It has been held at £1.00 for the last 12 years, and eventually a new figure for 2003 of £1.50 was agreed.

The meeting the adjourned for a cheese and wine buffet, which gave a pleasant interlude for members to mingle and chat.

To close the meeting we had speakers from the Methodist Church and St John's Church. Both have interesting projects underway - the Methodist church with a complete rebuild of their site, and St John's with the dismantling and restoration of the 1914-18 Memorial stained glass window. The latter project (being done by the trained staff at Salisbury Cathedral) is now nearly complete, whilst the rebuilding project is about to start and will be expected to take at least a year. When complete it will provide both a large church but also a quite sophisticated Community Centre, providing care and facilities for both older people and for youngsters of school and pre-school age.

Dudley Hull

For Broadstone.net

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