Bradford On Avon Station Footbridge Canopy Project
Charity Registration Number 1184339
Accounts from 1[st] June 2022 to 31[st] May 2023
Accounts prepared by David Cowles BSc ACIB who considers them to be a fair and true reflection of the charities financial position as of 31[st] May 2023.
Background
Fourth set of accounts for CIO known as Bradford on Avon Station Footbridge Canopy Project to 31[st] May 2023.
The Trust was created on the 9[th of] July 2019. These are 12-month figures.
Introduction
Each year the Trustees of the charity are required to approve an annual report and accounts prepared in accordance with the requirements of The Charity Commission. This document, which must be available to the public covers the period 1[st] June 2022 to 31[st] May 2023.
Its purpose is to review the charities activities against the charities aims and objectives. Specifically, it contains information regarding the charity’s trustees and their appointment, constitution and financial affairs. It also includes a statement of the charities public benefit.
Trustees
The trust’s constitution, powers, and the way it operates are set out in the constitution dated 9[th] July 2019, establishing the charity as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). The constitution stipulates a minimum of 3 and maximum of 12 trustees.
The trustees as of 31[st] May 2023 were.
David Moss. Chairman
David Cowles. Treasurer
Paige Balas. Secretary
Peter Mann
John Potter
Peter Leach
Patron
Lord Faulkner Of Worcester
Offices
As it neither owns nor leases premises the charity has no offices of its own. By courtesy of The Bradford on Avon Preservation Trust, the Trust’s office at Silver Street House, Silver Street, Bradford On Avon, BA15 1LL is used as the charity’s postal address.
Objectives, Public Benefit and Review of Activity
As set out in its constitution, the purpose ("object") of the charity is "The restoration and preservation for the public benefit of the canopy to the footbridge at Bradford On Avon Railway Station, a grade II listed railway heritage site designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel".
Bradford On Avon's Grade II listed railway station was built to the most elaborate of the standard designs used by Brunel, resembling a lodge or estate house of the period, but built with local Bath Stone rather than the more commonly used bricks and mortar. The station is a rare reminder of the heyday of one of the Great Western Railway's main lines. A few years ago, the station was restored to Great Western traditional colours of Light Stone and Dark Stone but although the footbridge was repaired and refurbished, it still lacks the original canopy, which was removed in the mid-1960s in the brief that this would reduce maintenance costs. The charity aims to replace the canopy to restore the station to its historical and original appearance, freely available to see for all interested in this aspect of our past.
A professional engineering report confirmed that the refurbished footbridge can easily take the weight of a new canopy. Network rails support our project and have agreed to take on long-term maintenance once the canopy is back in place.
We have developed a Risk Register to help ensure the project runs smoothly.
Fund raising and Project progress.
There has been a great deal of preparatory work in the last 6 years and the charity has worked closely with our Architects Oxford Architects an accredited company specialising in heritage work on Network Rail, Network Rail Asset Management teams, Great Western Railway who have provided a £15K grant, the Severn side Community Rail Partnership and through them the DfT Community Rail Development Fund who between them have facilitated up to £22k of matching funding, Wiltshire Council Planning Department and local heritage and preservation organisations.
The focus of efforts in this accounting period has been to achieve Network Rail Approval in Principle (AiP) for the design of the restored footbridge canopy. To this end, supported by the matching funding of £22k agreed by the CRDF in September 2022, we signed a BAPA (Basic Asset Protection Agreement) with Network Rail. This in essence commits NR to assist us to achieve AiP and commits us to reimburse NR for the costs they incur as a result.
The signed BAPA enabled Oxford Architects to work with NR and with various specialist Civil Engineering and Lighting & Electrical Contractors to put together all the necessary documentation, which was submitted to NR in March 2023, with the expectation of AiP following soon after.
Unfortunately, after the plans were submitted NR Asset Management advised that their corporate regulations for the types of material allowed over the railway network had changed and that the use of Accoya timber for the timber elements which they had agreed in 2021 was now no longer possible, for safety and maintenance reasons. They now insisted that we use GRP/FRP (Glass reinforced / Fibre reinforced plastic). As the use of GRP/FRP had been expressly refused by Wiltshire Council Planning Department and local heritage organisations, we have spent many months in intensive discussions with NR to see if they could be persuaded to approve Accoya timber.
However, we have not been successful, so that after the end of this accounting period we agreed with NR that they would issue AiP for all the plans with the caveat exception that the actual material to be used as an alternative to Accoya timber is still to be agreed. This will give us the ability to sign off our commitment with Severn side and CRDF for the matching funding, after which we will return to Wiltshire Council Planning department to discuss options around GRP/FRP.
Income £ Grant 11,000 Total Income 11,000 Expenditure Development Costs 30,284 Bank charges 64 Total Expenditure 30,348
Excess of costs over income 19,348
Balance Sheet Current Assets Cash 4,639 Total current assets. 4,639 Liabilities Nil Net Assets 4,639 Reserves B/Fwd. 23,987 income shortfall 19,348 Total Reserves 4,639