## **THE AVON AND ARROW GREENWAY PROJECT** **REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023** **Charitable Incorporated Organisation Charity number: 1188324** 1 ## **THE AVON AND ARROW GREENWAY PROJECT** ## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES** ## **Trustees** Jeremy Harvey Chair Liam Maude Vice Chair Colin Tether Trustee Daryl Bailey Treasurer ## **Principal Office** 44 Dunnington ALCESTER B49 5NX ## **Registered CIO Number 1188324** ## **ANNUAL REPORT AND UNAUDITED ACCOUNTS – 31 MARCH 2023** Pages 3. Report of the Trustees 4. Report of the Chair of the Trustees 7. Financial Report for the period 2 ## **THE AVON AND ARROW GREENWAY PROJECT** ## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES** The trustees present their annual report and the unaudited accounts of the Charitable Incorporated Organisation (“CIO”) for the period ended 31 March 2023. The organisation became a registered CIO on 4 March 2020. ## **Charitable Objects** The objects of the CIO are to promote and encourage in the Avon and Arrow river valleys in Warwickshire and Worcestershire for the public benefit the development and provision of safe routes, paths and facilities for cyclists, walkers and persons with disabilities and to undertake such projects and activities of a charitable nature which will assist in promoting health, wellbeing and the protection of the environment. ## **Activities** Activities include the promotion of cycling and walking environments and infrastructure within the valleys of the rivers Avon and Arrow in Worcestershire and Warwickshire to support the creation of traffic free leisure paths linking rural communities to the principal towns in the area. The paths will support health and wellbeing, local tourism and responsible cycling for all ages and abilities. ## **Trustees** The trustees of the CIO who served during the period were: D Bailey (appointed 4[th] March 2020) J Harvey (appointed 4[th] March 2020) L Maude (appointed 4[th] March 2020) C Tether (appointed 4[th] March 2020) ## **Acknowledgements** The trustees acknowledge the ongoing support received from its stakeholders and Sustrans during the period. Signed by order of the board of trustees J Harvey Chair Approved by the board 12[th] January 2024 3 ## **THE AVON AND ARROW GREENWAY PROJECT** ## **REPORT OF THE CHAIR OF THE TRUSTEES** Our spine routes engage two rural counties; our greenway links them in a potentially mighty partnership to create a new network for walking and cycling. It’s a strategic partnership that is both exciting and powerful and offers us a route to government funding through Active Travel and the Dept for Transport. Constructing this relationship completes our engagement through all levels of politics, parish, district, county and government and is vital in attracting the money necessary for Two Shires Greenway vision to become a reality - more of this below! A brief overview of the both routes – Evesham to Alcester is Spine 1 and Broom to Stratford is Spine 2. The section from Salford Priors church to Wixford and onto Alcester is underway with CIL funding from Salford Priors PC and Stratford District Council to the tune of £500,000 and we expect work to commence very early 2024 We have CIL money for the section through Harvington Harvington PC have been awarded 150K community legacy grant money. We are waiting on National Highways and WCC to process the legal side so we can go for match funding. This would effectively give us 300K for this section. The parish council has set up a working group to progress this. The Valley owners are very supportive of the project as a whole and specifically the link to Evesham Town. On Spine 2 We have a pincer movement strategy in place for this route as the central section offers the greatest challenge. So we are working on the route from Broom to the Bidford Health Centre with Bidford PC and we have bid for £250k of Stratford DC CIL money for this section in this year’s CIL grants – we are hoping to hear good news in the next week or so! In partnership with this we are also in the planning stage with Luddington and Welford Parish Councils, on the route from the Stratford racecourse to Welford. (we intend to bid for CIL funds for this section in 2024.) In effect we are coming at it from both ends inwards, Broom to Stratford and from Stratford to Welford. Delivering these sections will leverage extra funding to do the difficult job of joining them up. Once done we then have immediate access to the Tramway to Long Marston Long term strategy requires county joint action with government. We are engaged with Councillors from Worcs CC, who have responsibility for Highways and Transport, and Councillors from Warks CC to achieve cross county support for the project as a whole. The difficult sections of the Greenway project will require serious funding (many millions) from Active Travel and the DFT to complete. Our concern is 4 ## **THE AVON AND ARROW GREENWAY PROJECT** ## **REPORT OF THE CHAIR OF THE TRUSTEES** that Active Travel is currently focused primarily on urban development which is unhelpful for rural counties like Worcestershire and Warwickshire where connectivity is key. So the aim is to lobby DFT and Active Travel for funding for routes offering ‘connectivity’ rather than just the present urban focus. Ideally both district councils, Wychavon and Stratford would work to ensure their county council’s engagement with the cross county strategic partnership. We also believe that Directors of Public Health should have a powerful voice in supporting the Greenway and we are asking DC leadership to set up a meeting so we could enlist their support for this project to promote health and wellbeing. So Evesham to Harvington We know that the original work started over 5 years ago to deliver this route has stalled badly for a number of reasons, however this is the perfect time to resurrect the work as things have changed and we can work with those changes. We hope to set up a joint meeting between the two District Council leaders to encourage cross district council co-operation and pushing for the engagement of District Council County Cllrs to join in the creation of a pressure group with the two county councils to lobby government. We met Eagle One on 28th September. They are very keen to see this route in place and talked with great enthusiasm about the commercial and tourist benefits for Evesham. They offered to help us sharpen up the executive summary of our business plan. Worcestershire CC has outlined a plan to create a PROW across the New Farm nature reserve. This can later be upgraded to a bridleway. Eagle One have agreed to this being linked into their land. We were invited to update the Evesham TC planning committee on progress on November 20th and spent a very positive hour briefing them and asking for their active support in pursuing the route and lobbying Wychavon DC 5 ## **THE AVON AND ARROW GREENWAY PROJECT** ## **REPORT OF THE CHAIR OF THE TRUSTEES** We now would be delighted if you could use your influence to push for progress on your section of this unique infrastructure project which will bring significant benefits and offer a huge opportunity to develop a network of walking/cycling paths for the whole of South Warwickshire and Worcestershire. This amazing amenity will connect all the footpaths and bridleways and routes off the Greenway to other villages and places of beauty and interest along the way. We hope that you continue to see the huge benefits of actively supporting this agenda and investing time and political capital as well as cash in its development. J Harvey Chair 6 ## **THE AVON AND ARROW GREENWAY PROJECT** ## **FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDING 31 MARCH 2023** |**Income:**
Donation from Bidford on Avon Parish Council
**Expenses:**
Hire of Village Hall
Website costs
Professional Indemity Insurance
HM Land registry fees
Publicity costs
Ordnance Survey licence costs
Meeting costs
**Total income less expenditure**
**Balance sheet:**
Cash at bank
Accrual - meeting costs
Reserves b/fwd
Income less expenditure in year
Reserves c/fwd|| |---|---| Accounts prepared by D Bailey, Treasurer 7