Chairman's Remarks - Trust Annual Report 1988
As usual there are a number of changes to report amongst members of the Council and the Officers.
Few members will not know already that Gill Graham, who has been Secretary of the Trust for eleven years, is to stand down after the Annual General Meeting in October. The Trust owes Gill Graham an immense debt of gratitude for her dedication to our affairs, and her unfailing enthusiasm and ability to undertake any task great or small. She will be very much missed.
We are fortunate that she will be succeeded by Clarissa Paine, who is admirably qualified in that she has lived for most of her life in Winchester, knows a good deal about the Trust, and has varied experience which includes 10 years in a secretarial/administrative post with the IBA.
A sad loss during the year was that of Frank Chippindale who, though no longer a member of the Council, played a very active part as Chairman of the Urban Studies Committee, a member of the Heritage Centre Management Committee and the Convenor of one of our Development Control Panels almost up to the time of his death in July 1988. Honorary Life Membership was conferred on him at the 1987 Annual General Meeting.
As regards the Council, Jock Macdonald decided not to seek re-election at the last AGM, due to other commitments. As a Winchester City Councillor he kept us in touch with Colebrook Street and his help and advice during his time on our Council was invaluable.
Five new members have joined the Council since the last Annual Report. Ernest Witts, who is Treasurer of the Trust, and Harvey Cole, a Hampshire County Councillor and an economic consultant, were both elected at the last Annual General Meeting.
The following have been co-opted during the year and will be proposed for election at the forthcoming AGM:
Mrs Pamela Peskett is a Winchester City Councillor, Chairman of the Winchester Consumer Group, Vice-Chairman of the Management Committee of the Citizens' Advice Bureau, a member of the Community Heal th Council and a practising genealogist.
Robert Cross lives in Winchester, has wide experience of publishing and has taken over responsibility for all the Trust's publications, including editorship of the Newsletter.
Keith Leaman is senior partner of Plincke, Leaman and Browning, a leading firm of Winchester Architects, and has for some time been involved with the Trust as a member of the Urban Studies Committee, of which he is now Chairman.
We heartily commend their election to members.
The Council is now almost at full strength, and as Chairman I consider myself indeed lucky to have such a diversity of experience and knowledge upon which to draw.
We shall need all the expertise that we can get since whilst some of the worst dangers of the past are behind us, Winchester faces a number of changes with great potential for good or ill. The re-development of the Brooks is, effectively, a fait accompli, but other important issues are far from resolved. The Inspector's Report on the M3 is awaited. The first steps towards the re-development of the Peninsula Barracks have now been taken and although the general form that it will take is beginning to be clear, much remains to be known about the detail. In addition, the ever present financial pressures for development are now being fuelled by the possible availability of a number of green sites both in Winchester and on its outskirts. All of these factors will result in very considerable changes in Winchester and it will not be easy to ensure that these are for the better.
The Council of the Trust will need more than ever the support and encouragement of members. Numbers alone count a great deal in proving the weight of opinion, so please encourage like-thinking friends to join. And we are always delighted to have comments and offers of help.