2021-03-31-accounts - The Campaign To Protect Rural England (Cpre) Leicestershire

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CPRE Leicestershire Annual Report and Financial Review December 2020 to November 2021

Introduction

The main activities of CPRE Leicestershire are to promote and encourage the improvement and protection of the Leicestershire countryside for the benefit of everyone. These activities are achieved in part by monitoring and commenting on planning applications, many of which are brought to our attention by CPRE members, Parish Councils and the public. The Branch also advises on Neighbourhood Plans and responds to local and national Consultations. The Branch continues to be busy with work on its Vision for Leicester and Leicestershire and has also grown during the past year with the addition of 9 new volunteers.

Structure and Governance

CPRE Leicestershire is constituted as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), which is a financially independent charity related to the National CPRE charity, and is managed and run, on a voluntary basis, by a Committee of Trustees. Serving on a continuous basis for a maximum of six years, they are selected by the Committee subject to confirmation of their positions annually at the AGM. In Charnwood, there is a District Committee which focuses on local planning applications and consultations for the Borough.

Trustees

The Trustees are:

Tony Stott, Trustee; Branch Chairman; East Midlands Regional Chair.
Rick Hoyland, Trustee; Chair of Charnwood District Group.
Tony Simpson, Trustee; Treasurer.
John Marriott, Trustee.
Helena Edwards, Trustee.
Rita Bullivant, Trustee.

In April 2021 the Branch welcomed Rita Bullivant as a new Trustee and she is a timely and valuable addition to the team. Jill Prior continues in her role as Branch Committee Administrator.

Branch Activities 2020 to 2021

As the pandemic continued to impact the country, the Branch continues to be as busy as ever. Face to face Branch meetings are still suspended and all Branch activities have been carried out with the use of virtual Zoom meetings.

Late 2020  Award of a SCF bid to fund a Vision for Leicester and Leicestershire project. Dec 2020  Creation of a Vision Management Group to oversee the Vision Project.  Creation of a Vision Research Group to undertake various areas of research for the Vision Project.
Dec 2020  Response submitted to Leicester Local Plan Consultation. Jan 2021  Creation of a first draft Vision for Leicester and Leicestershire and shared with a small selection of like-minded Groups for their review and comments.
Feb 2021  Launch of Volunteer recruitment campaign attracting 16 responses. Mar 2021  The CPRE Leicestershire new Branch website was launched: https://www.cpre.org.uk/groups/leicestershire/
Branch responds to Blaby Local Plan.
Branch responds to Melton Interim Transport Strategy Consultation.

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May 2021

A virtual Induction / Debate meeting is held for all new Branch Volunteers:

1 new Trustee.
1 PR Volunteer.
1 Website / Social Media Volunteer.
5 Researcher Volunteers.

 1 Branch Photographer Volunteer. Jun 2021  Virtual meeting with Andrew Wood (National Office) who gave an informative talk on the West Yorkshire Vision. Aug 2021  Response submitted to Charnwood Local Plan 2021/2037.  Response submitted to Hinckley and Bosworth Local Plan. Sep 2021  Response submitted to the Leicester Transport Plan.

The Branch has also been busy offering advice on some of the following planning applications:  Belvoir Solar Farm Consultation.
Discussions with a local member regarding the proposed development around Pennbury.
4 self-catering shepherds huts in Odstone.
Glenfield development proposed at Western Golf Course.
Proposed town by Belton, NW Leicestershire.
Proposed development at Donington le Heath.

The Branch is also keeping a close view on the proposed Stoney Stanton housing development, Hinckley Rail Freight Interchange and East Midlands Freeport.

The Branch’s other activities include regular contact with the following groups:

Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust.
Friends of the Earth (Leicester).
Willoughby Waterleys Residents Association.
Climate Action Leicester.
Stoney Stanton Action Group.
Leicester University.

Charnwood District Group update

Rick Hoyland and Joyce Noon remain as Chair and Vice Chair respectively with Tony Simpson as Treasurer. Our small team is stretched and we would welcome active helpers.

Since November 2020 Charnwood Borough Council has been unable to demonstrate a 5 year supply of housing land and this reduced to 3.34 years in March 2021. The housing land supply shortfall is explained by a continuing failure to deliver projected completions on the Sustainable Urban Extension sites allocated within the Local Plan adjoining Leicester, Thurmaston and Birstall and at Garendon between Loughborough and Shepshed.

As a consequence, in accordance with the provisions of the NPPF, CBC are obliged to consider granting consent for speculative developments outside those allocated in the Local Plan where they can be shown to be ‘sustainable.’ However, a number of previously refused applications have been granted on appeal due to the land supply shortfall apparently taking precedence over sustainability objections.

Accordingly, whilst the District Committee continues to focus on challenging and questioning the detail of all significant Charnwood planning applications, it has paid particular regard to investigating the sustainability justification for developments outside the Local Plan.

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On a sombre note the District Group were saddened to hear that Margaret Gamble had passed away in June 2021 at the age of 90. Margaret was the wife of the late Peter Gamble who was a past President of the Branch and had passed away in September 2020 at the age of 93. The District Group and Branch expressed their condolences to the Gamble family and thanked them for the generous donations to CPRE Leicestershire received from family and friends in remembrance of Mr and Mrs Gamble.

National CPRE

National CPRE have many campaigns underway including Climate Emergency; Hedgerows; What Gets Built and Where and Zero Waste. They also continue to work for positive changes to the planning system that are long overdue, with over 310,000 members signing a petition.

What 2022 and beyond will bring ……..

Our key focus for 2022 will be on developing and delivery of our Vision for the Leicester and Leicestershire countryside, which hopefully will be launched in Spring 2022.

Finally, we look forward to ‘normality’ returning for 2022 and wish all members a safe and Happy Christmas.

Financial Review: year ending 31[st] March 2021

The Branch’s full Accounts for the year ending 31[st] March 2021, including a detailed analysis of income and expenditure, are disclosed in a separate report, which (subject to the approval of the members) will be filed with the Charity Commission. The main points to note are as follows:

The Charity recorded a deficit of £2,680 on its regular activities for the year, compared with a deficit of £3,504 in y/e 31/3/20 and £3,373 in y/e 31/3/19. This year’s deficit was expected – the budget for the year anticipated an overspend of £3,295 – with the better than forecast result mainly due to a £600 underspend on marketing and communication costs.
In addition to its regular activities, the Charity also received £10,000 from the CPRE Strategic Collaboration Fund to create a Vision for the Branch. The Branch itself contributed £4,000 to the Fund, and all of the total is expected to be utilised by mid-2022, although only £886 had been spent by the end of the 20/21 financial year.
The assets of the Charity at 31/3/21 amounted to £51,008, compared with £44,574 at the end of the previous year. This total comprised bank balances as follows:

Bank accounts: Business Account Savings Account Charnwood District Account	As at As at 31/3/21 31/3/20 8,758 2,378 42,026 41,972 224 224 51,008 44,574

The Charity had no amounts either receivable or payable at 31/3/21.

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Campaign to Protect Rural England (Leicestershire Branch)

Registered Charity Number 1164985

Financial Statements

Year Ending 31st March 2021

Campaign to Protect Rural England (Leicestershire Branch) Receipts and Payments Year Ending 31st March 2021

Unrestricted Funds £ RECEIPTS Branch share of national income 6,069 Grant received - Bank interest received 54 Donations received 50 Other receipts - 6,173 PAYMENTS Subscriptions 649 Newsletter 302 Travel Expenses 19 Room hire - Marketing and communications 411 AGMs 223 Office expenses 2,259 Insurance 302 Consultancy 4,688 Other payments - 8,853 NET RECEIPTS/PAYMENTS FOR THE YEAR (2,680) Transers between funds (4,000) Net assets at end of previous year 44,574 Net assets at end of current year 37,894 Year	Restricted Funds £ - 10,000 - - - 10,000 - - - - 500 - - - 386 - 886 9,114 4,000 - 13,114 ending 31/3/21	Total Unrestricted Funds Funds £ £ 6,069 6,412 10,000 - 54 147 50 250 - 118 16,173 6,927 649 799 302 302 19 278 - 74 911 - 223 75 2,259 2,979 302 302 5,074 4,351 - 1,271 9,739 10,431 6,434 (3,504) - - 44,574 48,078 51,008 44,574 Year	Restricted Funds £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ending 31/3/20	Total Funds £ 6,412 - 147 250 118
				6,927
				799 302 278 74 - 75 2,979 302 4,351 1,271
				10,431
				(3,504) - 48,078
				44,574

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Campaign to Protect Rural England (Leicestershire Branch) Statement of Assets and Liabilities As at 31st March 2021

Unrestricted Restricted Funds Funds £ £ CURRENT ASSETS Cash at bank and in hand 37,894 13,114 LIABILITIES - - NET ASSETS 37,894 13,114 As at 31/3/21	Total Unrestricted Restricted Funds Funds Funds £ £ £ 51,008 44,574 - - - - 51,008 44,574 - As at 31/3/20	Total Funds £ 44,574 -
		44,574

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Campaign to Protect Rural England (Leicestershire Branch) Notes to the Accounts Year Ending 31 March 2021

1. Basis of Preparation of Financial Statements

The financial statements are prepared under the historical cost convention and in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities (effective April 2008).

The accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis, rather than an accruals basis, permissible given that the gross income of the charity is less than £250,000 for the year.

As the gross income for the year is less than £25,000, an audit or independent examination was not required and has not been carried out for this financial year.

2. Assets and Liabilities

At the beginning and end of the financial year the Charity's only assets were its bank account balances. No liabilities existed at either date.

3. Restricted Funds

The Charity received a grant of £10,000 in the financial year from the Strategic Collaboration Fund of the CPRE. This is being used to fulfill three key objectives for CPRE Leicestershire:

(1) To strengthen relationships with other, like-minded organisations, creating and building collaboration by means of shared working;
(2) To create a Vision for CPRE Leicestershire; and
(3) To revise the Charity's Strategic Growth Plan.

The attainment of these objectives - and therefore the utilisation of the grant received - is expected to be completed in the next financial year.

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