AGM (Oct 2024)

Minutes of the Public Meeting held on 24th October 2024 at the King Stag at 7.45pm

  • Trustees in attendance: Ms G Gray, Chair of the Trust, 4 other Trustees
  • Members of public: 20
  1. Mrs Gray reported on how the Trust income had been spent during the year. The major items of expenditure were tree maintenance, emptying the dog poo bins and cutting of the grass in the Picnic and Play area. 
  2. Trust Funding. The Trust was set up in 2003 with funding derived from planning consent for Royal Connaught Park and the timber yard on London Road developed for flats. The funding is invested and the income is used to fund the maintenance of the field, principally tree work, maintaining the fences, grass cutting and bin emptying. With careful planning this funding should support the Trust in perpetuity. Income and expenditure over the years is detailed on the Charities Commission website.
  3. Antisocial Behaviour. The wooden gate on Grange Road had been damaged on several occasions and it was now planned to replace this gate with a metal accessible gate similar to that installed at The Avenue end of the road. Concern was expressed about one individual who had been dangerously flying drones in the field. Signage in the field had recently been changed to include the banning of antisocial behaviour and that the Trustees have no power to police the field although it is private property. It was stressed that if users of the field feel threatened then they should call the police.
  4. The Picnic and Play Area has been well used over the year and the dog free rule is generally well respected although there are still occasions when dogs have been walked into the area. 
  5. Friends of Bushey Manor Field. When the Trust was first established it was hoped to establish a Friends group but nothing came of this. Such a group could help maintain hedges and pick up litter. The Trustees would welcome proposals to establish such a group and would welcome discussion with anyone who would like to become a Trustee.
  6. Professional Dog Walkers. There are a number of professional dog walkers who use the field regularly. Currently they can bring up to 6 dogs each and there is a tendency for them to meet and walk together. Some people were intimidated by such a large gathering of dogs together and this should be discouraged. There was a proposal to reduce the limit of dogs walked to 4 and a consultation will be started. We will report and discuss this at the next AGM October 2025.