Bradford On Avon Station Footbridge Canopy Project
Charity Registration Number 1184339.
Accounts from 1[st] June 2023 to 31[st] May 2024.
Accounts prepared by David Cowles BSc ACIB who considers them to be a fair and true reflection of the charity’s financial position as of 31[st] May 2024.
Background
Fifth set of accounts for CIO known as Bradford on Avon Station Footbridge Canopy Project to 31[st] May 2024.
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 2023 to 31[st] May 2024.
Its purpose is to review the charity’s activities against the charity’s 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 charity’s 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 2024 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 Rail (NR) 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.
Important progress has been made in the last two years and the charity has continued to work closely with our architects Oxford Architects an accredited company specialising in heritage work on NR, 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 £15,059K of matching funding. We also have stakeholder links withWiltshire Council Planning Department and local heritage and preservation organisations.
By the beginning of this accounting period, we had submitted proposals to Network Rail (NR) seeking Approval in Principle (AiP) for the project. These proposals were based on assurances given in 2021 by NR that they would accept use of accoya timber for parts of the structure. However, NR then advised us that their policy on materials had changed and that they now required use of GRP/FRP (glass reinforced plastic/fibre reinforced plastic) rather than any form of wood.
During this accounting period, we first established that there was no flexibility in NR’s new policy. We then commissioned our professional advisers to amend our proposals to fit this new policy and then sent the revised proposals to NR. We have experienced considerable delays in getting responses from NR but we now understand that they are content. However, we still await formal sign-off and issuing of AiP for the project. Meantime we have established that the planning permission for the canopy does not contain any conditions relating to materials used, so that we do not need to seek amendment to the permission.
In the belief that we will soon receive the AiP from NR, we are moving on to fundraising for the next, full design, stage of the project.
Income £ Grant. 4,059 Total Income 4,059
Expenditure
Development Costs 3,864 Bank charges 61 Total Expenditure 3,925 Excess of income over costs. 134
Balance Sheet Current Assets Cash 4,773 Total current assets. 4,773 Liabilities Nil Net Assets 4,773 Reserves B/Fwd. 4,639 income surplus 134 Total Reserves 4,773