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← Surrey Campaign To Protect Rural England Limited

2023-12-31-accounts

Surrey

SURREY CAMPAIGN TO PROTECT RURAL ENGLAND LIMITED

(known as CPRE Surrey)

(A Company limited by guarantee)

Trustees' Annual Report & Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2023

Surrey Campaign To Protect Rural England Limited (known as CPRE Surrey) - Company reg no. 04551761. Registered Charity no. 1106245.

Directors, officers and advisers

President Anthony Isaacs (from 7 October 2023)
Vice-Presidents Gillian Hein (until 7 October 2023)
Tim Murphy (until 7 October 2023)
Keith Tothill (until 7 October 2023)
Directors and Trustees David Allen - Treasurer
Susan Briant (resigned 7 October 2023)
Jennet Eyre
Craig Freeman (resigned 7 October 2023)
John Goodridge - Chair
Gillian Hein (appointed 7 October 2023)
Matt Mallinder - Vice-Chair
Tim Murphy (appointed 7 October 2023)
Ramsey Nagaty (appointed 31 January 2024)
Keith Tothill (appointed 7 October 2023)
Company registration no. 04551761
Registered charity no. 1106245
Registered Office c/o BWBCA Limited, Dukes Court, Duke Street
Woking GU21 5BH
Bankers CAF Bank Ltd, 25 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill,
West Malling, Kent ME19 4JQ
Website www.cpresurrey.org.uk

Page 1

Surrey Campaign to Protect Rural England Limited

(known as CPRE Surrey) - Company reg no. 04551761. Registered Charity no. 1106245.

Trustees’ Annual Report for the year ending 31 December 2023. (incorporating the Directors' Report)

The Trustees are pleased to present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2023.

Objectives

CPRE Surrey exists to promote and protect the beauty, tranquillity and diversity of rural Surrey by encouraging the sustainable use of land and other natural resources in town and country. It is actively involved in the land use planning process and in consultation on national, county and district policy formulation and implementation in this context. CPRE Surrey is an advisory member to the Board of the Surrey Hills National Landscape, appears at public enquiries, and endeavours to comment on major planning applications in all districts. We campaign strongly for the protection, promotion and enhancement of the countryside throughout the county and for the improvement of environmental quality.

Governing Document

Surrey Campaign to Protect Rural England is a company limited by guarantee (number 4551761) and governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association adopted 2 October 2002 and amended 23 April 2010 and 31 July 2020. It is also registered as a charity (number 1106245) with the Charity Commission. The members of the Board of Trustees are trustees under charity law and directors under company law. They are known also as Board Members.

While CPRE Surrey is constituted as a separate legal entity from The Campaign to Protect Rural England, the national charity number 1089685 (‘CPRE’) we have very similar objectives and use CPRE’s branding. CPRE Surrey is an active member of the CPRE network or federation, comprised of all the CPRE local charities, which collectively have 70% of the voting rights at the CPRE AGM. CPRE Surrey supports and contributes to the work of CPRE at a national and governmental level. The close collaboration with CPRE, other CPRE local charities and through the South East Regional Group, leads to sharing of expertise, resources and support which is vital to the effectiveness of CPRE Surrey. We are dependent on receiving our share of the membership fees, which are collected and allocated by CPRE and passed on as income.

Activities and Performance in 2023

Susan Briant and Craig Freeman retired from the board last year. My thanks to both for the hard work they put in. However we had the pleasure of welcoming back to the board our three vice presidents: Tim Murphy, Gillian Hein and Keith Tothill.

We had a large donation from the Nancy Bateman Charitable Trust. Our thanks go out to our president Anthony Isaacs for enabling this and we have spent much of the year focussing on how best to use it. High interest rates have enabled us to get some good interest on the reserves while we have them. Our first investment decision is in our team, and I am pleased to announce that Andy Smith joined us as a consultant in April 2024.

CPRE Surrey was active at many fairs and shows during the summer of 2023. Reception from the public was good, and some new members were gained, although I am sorry to report that our membership in total remains in decline at present.

The National Landscape Boundary Review Consultation took place and we gave a considered response that included lobbying for the areas of Eashing, Banstead and Walton Heaths and The Centenary Wood and adjacent land, Langley Vale. We should hear the latest results in July 2024.

The AGM was held at Dunsfold Village Hall in October and was well attended with a talk from Philippa Guest on the work of the Haslemere Biodiversity Group. Dunsfold was chosen as an area that has been proposed to be in the new National Landscape Boundary.

Page 2

Surrey Campaign to Protect Rural England Limited

(known as CPRE Surrey) - Company reg no. 04551761. Registered Charity no. 1106245.

Trustees’ Annual Report for the year ending 31 December 2023. (incorporating the Directors' Report)

Activities and Performance in 2023 - continued

Towards the end of the year, a lot of our time was taken up with bringing new members to the board, and discussions surrounding the new National Planning Policy Framework, which is largely in favour of those trying to protect the countryside.

We have been involved in many planning applications throughout the year, and have often been vindicated in our views with the decisions made by the planning committees. A number of new volunteers have given their time to protect the countryside through working to identify poor applications and we welcome them.

It has been a busy 2023 and we are hoping that 2024 will be even busier.

Public Benefit

The charity's trustees have complied with their duty in Section 17(5) of the 2011 Charities Act to have due regard to guidance published by the Charity Commission.

Financial Review

Income and expenditure

The 2023 accounts of CPRE Surrey reflect a very unusual year on the financial front. First, we received the unrestricted donation of £100,000 from the Nancy Bateman Charitable Trust. That boosted the unrestricted income to £136,539. Second, following a reorganisation of the way CPRE Regional Groups operate, the South East Regional Group’s funds of £21,260 were transferred from CPRE to CPRE Surrey. This is shown as a Restricted Fund in the accounts.

Our share of subscriptions received via CPRE was £28,963 (2022: £28,767) while expenses were lower than the previous year, leading to a surplus on our unrestricted funds (before gains on investments) of £112,054 (£100,000 one off donation and £12,054 on ‘normal’ activities). Including gains on investments the overall surplus on unrestricted funds was £117,035.

On the restricted fund, expenditure of £1,000 was incurred, leaving a balance carried forward of £20,315.

Investments and reserves policy

Our reserves policy is to maintain an unrestricted fund equivalent to at least 6 months expenditure and following the large donation in the year we are clearly well over this level. However, we plan to utilise some of the surplus funds by increasing the resources available to CPRE Surrey to carry out our day to day work and increase our effectiveness.

Following the receipt of the donation we also reviewed our investments policy. We sold the investment in the COIF Charities Investment Fund for £24,560, realising a gain in the year of £474, and invested £75,000 in the COIF Charities Ethical Investment Fund. This had increased in value to £79,507 at 31 December 2023.

Structure and management of CPRE Surrey

Management of CPRE Surrey is carried out by the Board, with the assistance of a team of part time freelance service providers. The services provided include administration, co-ordination of planning volunteers and social media, and this has been boosted since the year end when Andy Smith was added to the team. David Allen is Treasurer and handles financial reporting, service contracts, 100 club and budgeting and runs the bank accounts of the charity together with the Chair, and Matt Mallinder is the Vice Chair with responsibility for strategy and governance, The Chair is responsible for running the charity and fulfilling all the legal responsibilities of CPRE Surrey.

Page 3

Surrey Campaign to Protect Rural England Limited

(known as CPRE Surrey) - Company reg no. 04551761. Registered Charity no. 1106245.

Trustees’ Annual Report for the year ending 31 December 2023. (incorporating the Directors' Report)

Governance

The Articles of Association were amended by Special Resolution at the Annual General Meeting held (virtually) in July 2020. The amendments to CPRE Surrey’ Articles conform to changes under the Companies Act 2006 and Charities Act 2011 and were in a form approved by the Board of CPRE. The revised Articles reflect the way CPRE Surrey is now run and, in addition to the formation of district committees, enable the establishment of specialist topic committees in Surrey. At the Annual General Meeting every year the officers and trustees are elected to form the Board of CPRE Surrey. The minimum number of Board members is five with a maximum number of ten, the term of office is now limited to six consecutive years after which they must stand down for at least one year before seeking re-election at the following AGM.

Retiring board members have been traditionally appointed as Vice Presidents at the AGM. Some remain actively involved volunteering their time and expertise to further our charitable purposes. They are also essential to train up and encourage new volunteers joining the planning team or as new Board members. Induction and training of new volunteers and trustees is provided by CPRE. They have re-instituted the Planning Induction course, as well as a more general introduction to CPRE for newly recruited member/volunteers.

Risk management

The Trustees are responsible for identifying the major risks to which the charitable company is exposed and ensuring that steps are taken to manage these risks.

Trustees’ responsibilities in relation to the financial statements

The Trustees (who are also directors for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (UK Accounting Standards and applicable law). The financial statements are required to give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources of the charity, including its income and expenditure, for that period. In preparing those financial statements, the Trustees are required to:

The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and to enable them to ensure that the accounts comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The Trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charitable company's website. Legislation in the UK governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

This report has been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102), and in accordance with the special provisions of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.

John Goodridge – Chair 24 June 2024

Page 4

Surrey Campaign To Protect Rural England Limited

(known as CPRE Surrey) - Company reg no. 04551761. Registered Charity no. 1106245.

Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees on the accounts for the year ended 31st December 2023

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the company for the year ended 31 December 2023 which are set out on pages 6 to 11.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity trustees of the company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 (‘the 2006 Act’).

Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your company's accounts as carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5) (b) of the 2011 Act.

Independent examiner's Statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

(1) accounting records were not kept in respect of the Company as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or

(2) the accounts do not accord with those records; or

(3) the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view' which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or

(4) the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

C N Barnard FCA

Camabelu Limited Accrue Workplaces The Long Barn Cobham Park Road Cobham, Surrey KT11 3NE

Date: 25 June 2024

Page 5

Surrey Campaign To Protect Rural England Limited

(known as CPRE Surrey) - Company reg no. 04551761. Registered Charity no. 1106245.

Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31 December 2023 (including Income and Expenditure Account)

Notes
Income from:
Donations and legacies
Share of subscription income
4
Donations
Legacies
Other trading activities
Fund raising events
Investments
5
Total income
Expenditure on:
Raising funds
Direct costs of fundraising
Indirect costs
6
Charitable activities
6
Total expenditure
Net gains/(losses) on investments
Net income/(expenditure)
Transfers between funds
Net movement in funds
Reconciliation of funds:
Fund balances at 31 December 2022
Fund balances at 31 December 2023		 Restricted Unrestricted
Total
Funds
Funds
Funds
2023
2023
2023
£
£
£
-
28,963
28,963
21,260
100,411
121,671
-
-
-
-
1,548
1,548
56
5,616
5,672
21,316
136,538
157,854
-
789
789
-
1,681
1,681
1,000
22,015
23,015
1,000
24,485
25,485
-
4,981
4,981
20,316
117,034
137,350
-
-
-
20,316
117,034
137,350
-
97,823
97,823
20,316
214,857
235,173		 Restricted Unrestricted
Total
Funds
Funds
Funds
2022
2022
2022
£
£
£
-
28,767
28,767
1,082
497
1,579
-
-
-
-
1,686
1,686
-
786
786
1,082
31,736
32,818
-
1,377
1,377
-
2,172
2,172
2,971
27,915
30,886
2,971
31,464
34,435
-
(3,169)
(3,169)
(1,889)
(2,897)
(4,786)
-
-
-
(1,889)
(2,897)
(4,786)
1,889
100,720
102,609
-
97,823
97,823

The notes on pages 8-11 form part of these financial statements.

The Statement of Financial Activities includes all gains and losses in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.

Page 6

Surrey Campaign To Protect Rural England Limited

(known as CPRE Surrey) - Company reg no. 04551761. Registered Charity no. 1106245.

Balance Sheet at 31 December 2023

Notes
Fixed assets
Investments
9
Current assets
Debtors and prepayments
10
Cash at bank and in hand
Creditors - amounts falling due within one year
11
Net current assets
Total net assets
Total funds
12
Unrestricted funds
Income reserve fund
Revaluation reserve (fair value)
Restricted funds		 Total
Funds
2023
£
79,507
9,351
150,047
159,398
(3,732)
155,666
235,173
210,350
4,507
214,857
20,316
235,173		 Total
Funds
2022
£
24,086
6,973
72,808
79,781
(6,044)
73,737
97,823
85,652
12,171
97,823
-
97,823		 Total
Funds
2022
£
24,086
6,973
72,808
79,781
(6,044)
73,737
97,823
85,652
12,171
97,823
-
97,823
210,350
4,507		 85,652
12,171
97,823
97,823
-
97,823

For the year ended 31 December 2023 the company was entitled to exemption under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.

The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its accounts for the year in question in accordance with section 476.

The Directors/Trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and preparation of accounts.

The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.

The financial statements were approved by the Directors/Trustees on 24 June 2024, and signed on their behalf.

John Goodridge David Allen Chair Treasurer

The notes on pages 8-11 form part of these financial statements.

Page 7

Surrey Campaign To Protect Rural England Limited

(known as CPRE Surrey) - Company reg no. 04551761. Registered Charity no. 1106245.

Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2023

1. Accounting policies

(i) Basis of accounting

The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice for Charities (SORP 2015) (Second Edition, effective 1 January 2019) applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102), the Companies Act 2006 and UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice.

The accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant note(s) to these accounts.

The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102.

The trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the charity's ability to continue as a going concern.

(ii) Fund accounting

The Unrestricted fund is available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity. Restricted funds are donations which the donor has specified are to be solely used for particular areas of the charity’s work or for specific projects being undertaken by the charity.

(iii) Income recognition

All income is recognised once the charity has entitlement to the income, there is sufficient certainty of receipt and so it is probable that the income will be received, and the amount of income receivable can be measured reliably.

The Surrey share of subscription income received from the National Office of CPRE, and interest on deposits, are accounted for on an accruals basis. Income from events is treated as income when the events actually occur. Dividends are credited to the revenue account as they are received. Donations and legacies are recognised when the charity has entitlement to the resource and it is probable that the resources will be received.

(iv) Expenditure

Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, it is probable that settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. In accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102), general volunteer time is not recognised.

The charity is not registered for VAT and, where applicable, expenditure is shown inclusive of VAT. Campaign costs have been apportioned between expenditure on charitable activities and costs of raising funds based on an estimated percentage.

(v) Investments

Investments are recognised at cost and then restated at fair value each year.

(vi) Debtors and creditors receivable/payable within one year

Debtors and creditors with no stated interest rate and receivable or payable within one year are recorded at transaction price. Any losses arising from impairment are recognised in expenditure.

(vii) Cash

Cash at bank and in hand includes deposits, repayable on demand, made with the COIF Charities Deposit Fund, a Common Deposit Fund for charities.

(viii) Tax

The charity is an exempt charity within the meaning of schedule 3 of the Charities Act 2011 and is considered to pass the tests set out in Paragraph 1 Schedule 6 Finance Act 2010 and therefore it meets the definition of a charitable company for UK corporation tax purposes.

2. The company

Surrey Campaign To Protect Rural England Limited is formed under the Companies Act and has no share capital, being a company limited by guarantee. The maximum liability of each of its members is £1.

3. Directors/trustees information

Directors/trustees received no remuneration for their services (2022: £nil).

No expenses were reimbursed to directors/trustees (2022: 1 director/trustee reimbursed £13). There were no other related party transactions.

Page 8

Surrey Campaign To Protect Rural England Limited

(known as CPRE Surrey) - Company reg no. 04551761. Registered Charity no. 1106245.

Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2023 (continued)

4. Share of subscription income

Members of CPRE who are resident in Surrey and those wishing to support Surrey are automatically members of CPRE Surrey. CPRE Surrey is funded by a variable percentage of subscriptions and linked donations which National Office pass on quarterly.

5. Investment income

Interest
Dividends from
COIF Charities Investment Fund
COIF Charities Ethical Investment Fund
6. Expenditure on charitable activities
Campaign costs
Newsletters
Social media presence
Administration and operational costs
Communication costs
PO Box costs
Office equipment depreciation
Bank charges
Donations
Subscriptions
Gift aid written off
Governance
AGM and Board Meetings
Insurance and data protection
Independent examination and other fees
- prior years
Registered Office
Total expenditure on charitable activities
Allocated to expenditure on raising funds		 Restricted
Unrestricted
Total
2023
2023
2023
£
£
£
56
4,500
4,556
-
540
540
-
576
576
56
5,616
5,672
1,000
2,645
3,645
-
8,937
8,937
-
4,084
4,084
-
687
687
-
396
396
-
-
-
-
62
62
1,000
16,811
17,811
-
(1,681)
(1,681)
1,000
15,130
16,130
-
2,581
2,581
-
1,660
1,660
-		 Restricted
Unrestricted
Total
2022
2022
2022
£
£
£
-
67
67
-
-
-
-
719
719
-
786
786
-
4,892
4,892
-
8,857
8,857
-
6,676
6,676
-
502
502
-
378
378
-
250
250
-
165
165
-
21,720
21,720
-
(2,172)
(2,172)
-
19,548
19,548
2,971
2,971
-
1,170
1,170
-
2,138
2,138
1,000
19,371
20,371
-
325
325
-
774
774
-
1,500
1,500
-
-
-
-
45
45
1,000
22,015
23,015		 2,971
22,856
25,827
-
621
621
-
748
748
-
3,180
3,180
-
510
510
-
-
2,971
27,915
30,886

Page 9

Surrey Campaign To Protect Rural England Limited

(known as CPRE Surrey) - Company reg no. 04551761. Registered Charity no. 1106245.

Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2023 (continued)

7. Employee information

There were no employees during the year (2022 None)

The trustees consider that they comprise the key management personnel of the charity in charge of directing and controlling, running and operating the charity on a day to day basis. They are assisted in this by a number of volunteers who review local planning applications and draw attention to those that that are likely to have an adverse effect on the countryside.

8. Tangible assets

There were no tangible assets during the year (2022 £nil)

9. Investments
Balance at 1 January 2023
Additions in the year
Disposals at carrying value
Revaluation for the year
Balance at 31 December 2023		 2023
£
24,086
75,000
(24,086)
4,507
79,507		 2022
£
27,255
-
-
(3,169)
24,086

The company holds 26,414.31 Income Units in COIF Charities Ethical Investment Fund. The investment was acquired at the market value of £75,000 in August 2023 and is held at fair value. The previous investment in the COIF Charities Investment Fund was disposed of in August 2023 at a gain of £474 and reinvested as above.

10. Debtors
Accrued share of subscription income
Interest
Gift aid
11. Creditors - amounts falling due within one year
Accruals and trade creditors
PAYE and NI
100 Club		 2023
£
8,745
581
25
9,351
2023
£
3,360
-
372
3,732		 2022
£
6,574
-
399
6,973
2022
£
4,460
1,164
420
6,044

Page 10

Surrey Campaign To Protect Rural England Limited (known as CPRE Surrey) - Company reg no. 04551761. Registered Charity no. 1106245.

Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2023 (continued)

12. Analysis of movements in funds
Restricted fund
CPRE South East Regional Group
Unrestricted fund
Income reserve fund
Revaluation reserve
Total funds
Restricted funds
Red Court Appeal
Unrestricted fund
Income reserve fund
Revaluation reserve
Total funds
2023
2022		 Funds
Gains /
Funds
1 Jan
(losses) on
31 Dec
2023
Income Expenditure investments Transfers
2023
£
£
£
£
£
£
-
21,316
(1,000)
-
-
20,316
-
21,316
(1,000)
-
-
20,316
85,652
136,538
(24,485)
474
12,171
210,350
12,171
-
-
4,507
(12,171)
4,507
97,823
136,538
(24,485)
4,981
-
214,857
97,823
157,854
(25,485)
4,981
-
235,173
Funds
Gains /
Funds
1 Jan
(losses) on
31 Dec
2022
Income
Expenditure
investments
Transfers
2022
£
£
£
£
£
£
1,889
1,082
(2,971)
-
-
-
1,889
1,082
(2,971)
-
-
-
85,380
31,736
(31,464)
-
-
85,652
15,340
-
-
(3,169)
-
12,171
100,720
31,736
(31,464)
(3,169)
-
97,823
102,609
32,818
(34,435)
(3,169)
-
97,823

The restricted fund is held for the benefit of the CPRE South East Region - see Financial Review on Page 3

13. Analysis of net assets between funds

of net assets between funds
Investments
Net current assets		 Restricted Unrestricted
fund
fund
£
£
-
79,507
20,316
135,350
20,316
214,857
2023		 Restricted Unrestricted
fund
fund
£
£
-
24,086
-
73,737
2022
-
97,823

Page 11