SOLENT PROTECTION SOCIETY
Protecting the Solent and its environment for future generations
Chair’s Report Autumn 2023
Dear Member,
It will, dear reader, come as no surprise to you that Pollution in our Solent area has been the major issue of concern monitored by the Solent Protection Society (SPS) over the past year. Decades of complacency by Southern Water management have resulted in the failure of their infrastructure to deal with the volume of sewage discharge from our ever-increasing built environment which contaminate our precious watercourses. The Society’s web pages provide a wealth of information on the areas worst affected. We are represented on a number of stakeholder bodies and our input has been reported on BBC radio. The Isle of Wight and Chichester Harbour “Pathfinder” schemes are interesting measures designed to reduce the pressure on Combined Sewage Outfalls when heavy rainfall causes the system to be overloaded.
We anticipate that the focus of public attention during the next period will be flooding caused by the over-topping of our crumbling sea defences, brought about by coastal squeeze in turn caused by sea level rise exacerbated by extremes of weather. Providing adequate funding to maintain traditional shoreline defence is an impossible challenge for the Environment Agency and Local Councils and difficult decisions will need to be made, particularly at Selsey, Chichester and Langstone harbours and between Hurst and Lymington.
The Society continues to monitor planning applications. Substantial development is underway on Southampton Water’s western shore. At the time of writing Fawley Waterside continues demolition of the disused power station to make way for the New Town. We are always vigilant to ensure that “visual intrusion” is kept to a minimum. The Dibden Bay SSSI is under threat from Associated British Port’s proposal to extend their activities onto this long-established nature reserve. This we will resist.
We examine Marine Licence applications sent to the Marine Management Organisation and at every opportunity we encourage the applicant to consider the “beneficial use of dredged material” (BUDs) to promote the restoration of saltmarsh which is ever under threat. We have supported the work carried out by the Blue Marine Foundation, in their endeavor to re-establish the native oyster in the Solent. Millions of native oyster seeds have been planted in various locations.
SPS have made representations to Hampshire County Council and Natural England regarding the formation and routing of the King Charles III Coast Path. With minor exceptions the path is now established and represents a valuable recreational facility for all.
In the face of the pressures brought about by Society’s increasing demands we strive to continue our mission to protect the Solent and its environment for future generations. As ever, new members are key to our success, so please share the enclosed newsletter and spread the word that the Solent Protection Society exists to promote the interests of all who have similar concerns and interests. Our Membership subscription is set at a very modest level, so we value highly your donations and bequests. Owing to the increased cost of postage, we will now only communicate with members via the postal system if the full subscription is received and we strive to use email where ever possible.
www.solentprotection.org
secretary@solentprotecton.org www.solentprotection.org Sandy Down Cottage, Lower Sandy Down, Boldre, Lymington, Hants SO41 8PP
Solent Protection Society – Registered Charity No. 1154317
We would be delighted to see you at our Annual General Meeting which this year will be held at 10am on Tuesday 5[th] December in the John Montagu Building Beaulieu SO42 7ZN, by kind permission of our President, Lord Montagu. Do let our Secretary Cassie Strang know by email if you are planning to attend.
Yours faithfully
Bob Stevenson Chair Solent Protection Society
Financial Statement of the Solent Protection Society for the year ended 30 June 2023 Prepared by Michael Rainey Hon Treasurer
General Observations
This is my second year as treasurer, and many of the issues that needed resolution at the time of last year’s AGM have been resolved.
The final position of SPS in June 2023 is that the accounts are back in balance and indeed showed a positive excess of income receipts over payments of £938.78. While we set out to have six face-to-face meetings in the year, this was reduced to one every quarter on average. Zoom meetings are held in the intervening months with sub-groups also held via Zoom. The President hosted the 2022 AGM at the John Montagu Building, Beaulieu and due to a lack of heating at the Holiday Inn, one meeting was free of charge, both reducing expenditure. Careful management of expenditure and more generous donations than expected of £735 have increased the bank balance. Income tax recovered through Gift Aid is now up-to-date and will in the future, be claimed twice a year. Membership subscriptions continued the slow decline, but much less than in previous years with a number of new members, partly as a result of the Society’s campaigning on sewage spills into the Solent. I am optimistic that the number of membership subscriptions may have plateaued but inflation is adding to our costs, and there has been no increase in subscriptions for many years.
Total assets over liabilities were £119,009.57, down £1,670.78, despite achieving a positive balance on annual expenditure. This was largely due to the performance of investment funds and the cost of making the transfers to the Churches, Charities and Local Authorities Ethical Investment Fund (CCLA EIF). In an effort to get better returns we completed changing our investments over to the CCLA EIF, which we hope will do better in the future than our previous investments, but of course, in the investment world, nothing is certain. Despite the changes, our overall interest and dividend income held up well.
It should be noted that the investments include a generous donation from John Power of £5,000 to be used for bursaries or support to worthy causes. I am indebted to Paul King for his assistance with our investment strategy.
1 Notes to the accounts
For the financial year ended 30 June 2023, The Solent Protection Society (SPS), a small charity, registered under the Charitable Incorporation Organisation (CIO), [Registered Charity No 1154317], has prepared for the eighth year its account on a “Receipts and Payments” basis rather than on an accrual basis, which finished in 2014/15.
2 Accounting Policies
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The “Receipts and Payments Account” and the “Statement of Assets and Liabilities” have been prepared in accordance with the applicable Accounting Standards and the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice 2000 and under historical cost convention, except for the valuation of the Investments, which are stated at market value as at 30 June 2023.
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The Receipts and Payments for the year are all accounted on a cash basis.
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Fixed Assets. In line with the previous practice, no depreciation is provided during the year. All new purchases are written off at cost.
3 Taxation
SPS is an approved charity and is not liable for income tax on any surplus.
4 Audit
SPS is not required under the CIO regulations to have an Account either audited or independently examined.
Solent Protection Society Financial Statement 30 June 2023
5 Review
Two members of the SPS council, other than the Chairman and the Honorary Treasurer, have reviewed the Account and discussed the results for the year with the Honorary Treasurer, but have not carried out an independent audit. The two reviewing council members were Richard Brown and Tim Kermode.
6 Receipts and Payments Account for the year ended 30 June 2023
| RECEIPTS Subscriptions Donations Income tax recovered Interest Dividends Awayday Sundries Total receipts (A) PAYMENTS Secretary Insurances Printing and stationary Telephone and postage Travelling Conference expenses Subscriptions Advertising and publicity Solent Forum Hire of rooms Refreshment and entertaining Website and computer costs Computer material Sundries Total Payments before donations (B) Total receipts over payments (A-B) DONATIONS/BURSERIES Marine Archaeology Trust Total payments after donations (C) Payments over total receipts (A-C) STATEMENT OF CASH AT BANK Balance at bank 1 July 2021 Total payments over receipts Transfer to Investments Balance at bank 30 June 2022 |
Y 22-23 £ 6,393.00 735.00 1,410.98 284.61 3,610.20 0 0 0 12,433.79 7,920.00 413.80 247.28 487.56 68.50 0.00 0.00 1,540.00 90.00 620.00 0.00 107.87 0 0 11,495.01 938.78 0 11,495.01 938.78 5,893.75 938.78 0 6,832.53 |
Y 21-22 £ 6,652.00 950.00 0 554.03 3,995.34 0 0 12,151.37 |
21-22 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7,675.00 532.63 283.31 579.06 28.80 0 5 1610.00 1,542.00 365.00 0 179.81 0 0 12,800.61 |
|||
| -649.24 0 12,800.61 |
|||
| -649.24 15,542.99 -649.24 -9,000.00 5,893.75 |
Solent Protection Society Financial Statement 30 June 2023
7 Statement of Assets and Liabilities
| CASH FUNDS Cash at banks COIF Total cash funds INVESTMENTS 22/23 5189 Charifund units on 1/7/22 77,062.35 Increase in value to 31/8/22 575.47 Sale of all Charifund units on 31/8/22 77,637.82 Purchase of 26212.16 CCLA EIF unit on 8.9.22 13424.97 CCLA EIF unit on 1/7/22 Decrease in value of all CCLA EIF units to 30 June 2023 CCLA EIF units 30/6/22 Total investment funds TOTAL CASH AND INVESTMENTS Less liabilities TOTAL ASSETS OVER LIABILITIES |
Y 22-23 £ 6,832.53 0 6,832.53 77,637.82 37724.25 -3.185.03 112,177.04 119,009.57 0 119,009.57 |
Y 21-22 £ 5,893.75 0 5,893.75 77,062.35 37,724.25 114,786.60 120,680.35 0 120,680.35 |
Y 21-22 £ 5,893.75 0 5,893.75 |
21-22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Solent Protection Society Financial Statement 30 June 2023