MATLOCK CIVIC ASSOCIATION
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT for FINANCIAL YEAR April 2024 - March 2025
( extended to September 25)
MCA met 9 times in the year with an average attendance of 11. Membership is now 26 plus 4 friends. The Trustees remained the same, although David Smith is unable to attend monthly meetings. Tony Symes has given notice of stepping down as Chairman at the 2025 AGM, but will remain as a Trustee for the time being. The financial situation continued to be healthy with funds of just over £193,000 - largely due to the David Barker Bequest. MCA now meet at 7pm at Church in the Peak, Lime Tree Road as regrettably the Methodist Church has closed for financial reasons,
Unfortunately we have not been able to complete any major new projects this year mainly due to the lack of resources by the relevant Local Authorities, but much preparatory work has been undertaken for projects including Artists Corner, which is due for completion at the end of this calendar year. This will open up the view of High Tor, favoured by Victorian Artists, by initially clearing the trees and shrubbery to be followed by a seat and hopefully information board. A Blue Plaque has been installed at Oldham House (Hydro) on Wellington Street, whilst installation is imminent at the Limes Boarding House funded by the owner and a third is agreed in principle by the new owner of Chatsworth Hall (Hydro). The creation of an East Bank Trail along the river to Matlock Bath has been pursued with David Puxley submitting, along with others, a grant bid for a scoping study, which unfortunately has been unsuccessful, but this project will be pursued. No real progress on the Hydro themed Artwork project.
Following recognition of the ageing of Members and Trustees, Ken Parker has spent a huge amount of time on proposals for the Future of MCA. Submissions have been made to the Charity Commission to approve this proposal for a David Barker Bequest Charity, with ring fenced funds, to be operated by the Town Council, who have agreed in principle to this plan. This new Charity would act within the existing MCA objectives and constraints with some continued involvement of one or more members of MCA. It would be the means of holding and spending the majority of MCA’s funds into the future. MCA would continue as the Civic Society until such time as it becomes impossible for us to continue. At that point MCA would be wound up with any remaining funds also transferred to the DBB Charity. The proposal was submitted to the Charity Commission in June 2025 but, although acknowledged, no decision has yet been made.
Led very ably by Richard Walker we have been active in making representations on many Planning Applications. This has included continued objections the Wolds Rise/Gritstone Road application and Public Inquiry which decided in favour of the Wolds Action Group rejection of the appeal despite the District Council withdrawing their objection. We argued against key elements of the proposals for the former RBS building, but lost out on retention of the flat roof for the revised extension. We objected to revised proposals for the Cawdor Quarry site which include 12 new four storey tower blocks on the edge of open countryside. We have been involved in plans for the Hurst Farm Heritage Trail and made significant comments on the proposals for the Aldi replacement of Hadfield House, Chatsworth Hydro and the Chatsworth Hall site along with a number of smaller applications.
Other activities have included cleaning the Matlock Mural, well organised by Annie Bird, and tidying up the Shiploads Garden (originally created by MCA back in the 1980s) plus pressing for improvement of the paving outside Greggs and proposals by Murray Gordon for repairing Evans historic clock on Dale Road and installing more seats up Bank Road and Steep Turnpike, all of which are ongoing. Dave Puxley prepared a comprehensive paper on a programme for the Regeneration of Matlock, which was presented to Officers of the District Council, who were interested and sympathetic, but could not progress it further at this stage due to resource limitations.
Administration continued with the AGM in November 2024 at which Andrew and Vanessa Pugh vividly described their original purchase of the Heights of Abraham and subsequent development of the high risk Cable Car project, which has culminated in a successful tourist attraction and the Heights being awarded a Gold Medal by the English Tourist Board. A big thank you to Dave Puxley for producing the Accounts and managing the investments and many thanks to Brian Wood for auditing the Accounts. Membership of Civic Voice has been renewed, with their bulletins circulated as appropriate, the Charity Commission annual return completed, insurance cover repeated and the Remembrance Service attended etc.
As usual huge thanks to Ken for all his hard work and thanks to all our members for their continued support particularly those who are able to make it to the meetings.
Drafted by Tony Symes {Chairman} Revised by Trustees Oct 2025 and Agreed by AGM on 6 Nov 2025.
MCA1607B
– FINAL ACCOUNTS FOR MATLOCK CIVIC ASSOCIATION FOR 1.4.2024 31.3.2025
| OPENING BALANCE AS AT 1.4.2024 Mansfeld Building Society Lloyds Bank Account Unity Trust Bank Cambridge & Countes Bank Pety Cash TOTAL OPENING BALANCE INCOME FOR 1.4.2024–31.3.2025 Membership Friends membership Jity booklet sales MCV assets transfer Building Society interest TOTAL INCOME EXPENDITURE FOR 1.4.2024–31.3.2025 Bank charges Room hire Sundry expenses (wreath, Civic Voice memb., Legal advice) Insurance TOTAL EXPENDITURE DIFFERENCE (between income & expenditure) CLOSING BALANCE AT 31.3.2025 FUNDS AT 31.3.2024 Mansfeld Building Society Lloyds Bank Account Unity Trust Bank Cambridge & Countes Bank Pety Cash TOTAL FUNDS AT 31.3.2025 (carry over to 2025-26) Notes– see next page |
£ 26981.24 £ 12708.62 £ 85000.00 £ 60000.00 £ 140.00 __ £184,829.86 £ 540.00 £ 40.00 £ 443.00 £ 379.901 £ 8089.65 __ £ 9492.55 £ 0.00 £ 234.00 £ 561.992 £ 167.58 __ £ 963.57 £ 8,528.98 £193,358.84 £ 27633.29 £ 17629.11 £ 85000.003 £ 63016.444 £ 80.00 £193,358.84 |
|---|---|
Notes
-
MCV assets have been received and this sum is ringfenced for projects in line with MCV objectives
-
The £500 donation to DDCVS (part of the Sundries sum) was agreed by MCA meeting (and not requested by the CVS) as thanks for the legal advice given to MCA by Neil Moulden (chief executive of CVS) regarding the creation of a new charity to administer the David Barker bequest
-
The balance of the United Trust Bank stays constant as interest is paid into Lloyds to avoid the balance going above the £85K protected limit
-
The funds in Cambridge & Counties were transferred into a 2-year bond when the original investment matured. This has to stay there until 9[th] September 2026 to avoid any withdrawal penalty
General Note
It is the intent of MCA to gradually transfer the bulk of its funds (arising from the David Barker bequest) to a new charity (to be called the David Barker bequest) that will be administered by Matlock Town Council as the sole trustee. If the formation of this new charity is approved by the Charity Commission, MCA will begin to transfer funds to this new charity as and when accounts / bonds mature.